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Remarks by President Obama in Arrival Ceremony

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Ben Gurion International Airport
Tel Aviv, Israel

12:55 P.M. IST
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Shalom.  (Applause.)  President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and most of all, to the people of Israel, thank you for this incredibly warm welcome.  This is my third visit to Israel so let me just say tov lihiyot shuv ba'aretz.  (Applause.)

I’m so honored to be here as you prepare to celebrate the 65th anniversary of a free and independent State of Israel.  Yet I know that in stepping foot on this land, I walk with you on the historic homeland of the Jewish people. 

More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people lived here, tended the land here, prayed to God here.  And after centuries of exile and persecution, unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish State of Israel was a rebirth, a redemption unlike any in history.

Today, the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah are fulfilling the dream of the ages -- to be “masters of their own fate” in “their own sovereign state.”  And just as we have for these past 65 years, the United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend.

As I begin my second term as President, Israel is the first stop on my first foreign trip.  This is no accident.  Across this region the winds of change bring both promise and peril.  So I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, and to speak directly to the people of Israel and to your neighbors. 

I want to begin right now, by answering a question that is sometimes asked about our relationship -- why?  Why does the United States stand so strongly, so firmly with the State of Israel?  And the answer is simple.  We stand together because we share a common story -- patriots determined “to be a free people in our land,” pioneers who forged a nation, heroes who sacrificed to preserve our freedom, and immigrants from every corner of the world who renew constantly our diverse societies.

We stand together because we are democracies.  For as noisy and messy as it may be, we know that democracy is the greatest form of government ever devised by man. 

We stand together because it makes us more prosperous.  Our trade and investment create jobs for both our peoples.  Our partnerships in science and medicine and health bring us closer to new cures, harness new energy and have helped transform us into high-tech hubs of our global economy.

We stand together because we share a commitment to helping our fellow human beings around the world.  When the earth shakes and the floods come, our doctors and rescuers reach out to help. When people are suffering, from Africa to Asia, we partner to fight disease and overcome hunger.

And we stand together because peace must come to the Holy Land.  For even as we are clear-eyed about the difficulty, we will never lose sight of the vision of an Israel at peace with its neighbors.

So as I begin this visit, let me say as clearly as I can --the United States of America stands with the State of Israel because it is in our fundamental national security interest to stand with Israel.  It makes us both stronger.  It makes us both more prosperous.  And it makes the world a better place.  (Applause.)

That’s why the United States was the very first nation to recognize the State of Israel 65 years ago.  That’s why the Star of David and the Stars and Stripes fly together today.  And that is why I’m confident in declaring that our alliance is eternal, it is forever – lanetzach.

Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

END             
1:01 P.M. IST

The first stop on President Obama's trip to the Middle East marks the first time the President has visited Israel since taking office, and comes as its citizens celebrate the 65th anniversary of a free and independent State of Israel.

On the third anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius lays out some of the ways in which the health reform has lowered costs.

We will be posting regular updates from the road and livestreaming several of the President's events on whitehouse.gov/live

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If Genetically Engineered Seafood Enters U.S. Market, Major Grocery Stores Say They Won’t Sell It

A group of major grocery retailers — including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi — have pledged not to sell genetically engineered (GE) seafood if it’s approved in the U.S., Friends of the Earth announced Wednesday. The retailers are among more than 2,000 national and local grocery stores that have signed a pledge as part of the environmental group’s new campaign to push grocery stores to refuse to sell GE seafood.

The announcement comes as the Food and Drug Administration appears poised to approve what would be the first non-plant GE food to enter the U.S. market. AquAdvantage Salmon — which contain a Chinook salmon gene allowing the fish to grow about twice as fast as a wild Atlantic salmon — passed the FDA’s environmental assessment, which was released last year. Along with salmon, the Center for Food Safety reports that there are at least 34 other species of fish undergoing GE development around the world, including tilapia, trout and flounder.

The debate surrounding genetically modified foods, or GMOs, has intensified in recent months. Whole Foods announced earlier this month that it would label all GMO foods sold in Whole Foods stores by 2018, becoming the first national grocery store to set a timeline on GMO labeling. California’s Proposition 37, which would have mandated GMO labeling in the state, was narrowly defeated in November, after food industry giants like Monsanto and Hershey poured $44 million dollars into an anti-Prop 37 campaign. Polling shows that more than 90 percent of consumers support GMO labeling, and a 91 percent of Americans don’t want GE meat and fish in the U.S. marketplace.

The grocery retailers’ pledges are encouraging, but they don’t make up for the FDA’s oversight in labeling GE salmon as environmentally sound. Opponents of GE seafood stress that not enough research has been done on its health effects, and that GE fish could pose an environmental threat if they escape into open waters. With their ability to grow more quickly than other salmon, GE salmon could out-compete wild salmon for food and space, and could potentially mate with wild seafood, weakening the wild species’ gene pool. AquAdvantage’s developer AquaBounty maintains that all of its salmon are grown as sterile females, but during a 2010 FDA hearing, AquaBounty clarified that 95 to 99 percent of its salmon were sterile — which means up to 750,000 of the eggs AquaBounty plans to grow could be fertile. On top of that, even farmed salmon that aren’t genetically modified pose potential health and environmental risks — they typically contain higher concentrations of PCBs, pesticides and other toxins; generate vast amounts of waste, which pollutes the water surrounding their pens and can harbor disease; and emit nearly as much greenhouse gasses as pork. GE farmed salmon will also carry all those risks.

There are still many other grocery retailers in the U.S. that haven’t signed the pledge, which means that if AquAdvantage salmon are approved, they will still find their way into the American market. The FDA hasn’t had much success with encouraging the food industry to self-regulate on its own, so the federal government will need a broader policy to limit Americans’ exposure to GMO foods — by labeling them or, in the case of GE salmon, by keeping them off shelves altogether.

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Remarks by the First Lady at Fisher House Family Easter Event

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For Immediate Release March 20, 2013 Remarks by the First Lady at Fisher House Family Easter Event Maryland Fisher House IV
Bethesda, Maryland

1:25 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, Crystal.  It's so good to be back.  It's good to see you guys.  Are you having fun?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready for a little more fun?  I'm coming to engage in the fun with you.  Are you ready?  Are you ready to show me how to make some stuff?
 
This is my second time here at Fisher House right around the Easter holidays, but it's not my second time, period.  I mean, the Fisher Houses, as you all know, are just so important to families who are recuperating.  They're doing some great stuff.  As you can see, the houses are beautiful.  And all around the country, they are as beautiful and as welcoming and as comforting as you guys are experiencing here.
 
That’s one of the reasons why we are so supportive of all the efforts that the Fisher Houses do.  And we're grateful to the Fisher family -- Crystal, who is here on behalf of her family -- because it wouldn’t happen without them.  So I like to come and hang out, number one, to bring cookies.  Anybody like cookies here?  I'm not sure if we haven't any cookie fans.  (Laughter.)  Just checking.
 
And one other thing I come bearing.  We do this really cool thing at the White House around Easter every year.  It's called our Easter Egg Roll.  Have you guys heard of the Easter Egg Roll?  We do it in the backyard of the White House on the South Lawn, and there are thousands of people who come.  And we've got great entertainment, bands playing.  We've got athletes who come, we've got Easter bunnies, and characters, and face painting, and bands playing, and lots of running right on the South Lawn.  Does that sound fun?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I brought tickets for all of you to come.  So that’s the other thing I bring.  (Applause.)  So the Monday after Easter, you guys are invited to my house to hang out, okay? 
 
I have one last surprise for you guys.  I brought a friend.  Bo! 
 
(Bo walks into the room.)
 
I brought Bo.  Bo came to see you guys.  Okay, so first I'm going to check out -- I'm going to come around to the tables.  If you don’t like dogs, just let me know. 
 
Bo is a sweetheart, but he's big; he's bigger than some kids realize.  (Laughter.)  So it takes a little second, but that’s all he is, is big.  He's really a big baby.  He's a big baby.  He can do tricks if he's paying attention -- no, no, he's staying down.  (Laughter.)  He can do some tricks, trust me.
 
But if you guys want to see Bo, I'll bring him around.  If you don’t want to see Bo, just let me know.  I understand.  And his teeth, he uses them to eat, but that’s about it.  (Laughter.)  All right? 
 
So I'm going to start over here, and then I'll make my way around to everybody, okay?  Bo, come on. 

END               
1:29 P.M. EDT

Blog posts on this issue March 20, 2013 3:19 PM EDTPresident Obama Tells Israeli People: The U.S Is Proud to Be "Your Strongest Ally and Your Greatest Friend"

The first stop on President Obama's trip to the Middle East marks the first time the President has visited Israel since taking office, and comes as its citizens celebrate the 65th anniversary of a free and independent State of Israel.

March 20, 2013 11:30 AM EDTHealth Care Law 3rd Anniversary: Paying for Quality Saves Health Care Dollars

On the third anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius lays out some of the ways in which the health reform has lowered costs.

March 20, 2013 10:29 AM EDTWatch Live: President Obama's Middle East Trip

We will be posting regular updates from the road and livestreaming several of the President's events on whitehouse.gov/live

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Judge Bars Man From Saying ‘Bingo’ For Six Months After False Call Causes Chaos

In the Ohio Valley, where bingo night is serious business, false “bingo” calls can get you 90 days in the pokey.

Austin Whaley, an 18-year-old from Covington, Kentucky, learned this the hard way when he and several friends entered a local bingo hall and yelled “bingo” for comic effect. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, “the crowd of mostly elderly women did not take kindly to Whaley’s bingo call.” The room filled with groans from those who’d thought they lost; upon realizing they’d been duped, “they started hooting and hollering and yelling and cussing.”

Park Hills Police Sgt. Richard Webster reported that Whaley’s antics “delayed the game by several minutes” and “caused alarm to patrons.” When Whaley refused to apologize after being caught, Whaley cited him for second-degree disorderly conduct.

“Just like you can’t run into a theater and yell ‘fire’ when it’s not on fire, you can’t run into a crowded bingo hall and yell ‘bingo’ when there isn’t one,” said Park Hills Police Sgt. Richard Webster, the officer who cited Whaley. [...]

“He seemed to think he could say whatever he wanted because it was a public building. I tried to explain that that’s not the case. Just because it’s a public building doesn’t give you the right to run into a theater and yell ‘fire.’ You can’t go into a ballpark and yell ‘out,’ because people could stop the game.”

When Whaley appeared in Kenton District Court last week, the judge ordered Whaley: “Do not say the word ‘bingo’ for six months.”

As comical as it may be, sentencing someone to not utter the word “bingo” is likely a violation of the First Amendment.

The 1919 Supreme Court case Schenck v. U.S. introduced the “clear and present danger” test, which allows punishment for speech that would knowingly cause a panic, such as shouting “fire” in a crowded theater (this test has also been largely superseded by more speech-protective decisions). But yelling “bingo” in a bingo hall hardly lives up to the standard. Nobody flees for their life when they think they’ve lost the whimsical game of chance.

Bingo players may consider Whaley a jerk, but even jerks have constitutional rights.

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