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Source: http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/061809/njMenendezSpeech.html
Sen. Menendez Takes Issue with Themes in Obama's Cairo Talk
[New Jersey Jewish News] Robert Wiener - In a speech on Tuesday perceived by some as a subtle rebuke to President Obama's address to the Muslim world, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) defended Israel as "a stalwart democratic ally in such a critical part of the world." "While the Shoa has a central role in Israel's identity, it is not the reason behind its founding, and it is not the main justification for its existence," Menendez noted. "We can and must move forward in the peace process and look for ways to reach agreement between all sides. But we cannot erase the moral distinctions between tyranny and freedom, and we must not edit history," he said. He also said that while the U.S. might have "disagreements with our allies, in this case especially, it is critical to have those disagreements in private."