Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was the opening speaker for AIPAC Policy Conference 2008 in Washington, D.C., where he addressed more than 6,500 pro-Israel activists from all 50 states. Sen. McCain said that Iran must be stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons and reaffirmed his support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. "My friends, as the people of Israel know better than most, the safety of free people can never be taken for granted," McCain said. "And in a world full of dangers, Israel and the United States must always stand together." 

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) affirmed her support for a strong U.S. Israel relationship during the closing session of AIPAC's 2008 Policy Conference, noting that support "for a strong American-Israeli relationship is essential to our interests." Underscoring the danger posed by Iran, Sen. Clinton emphasized that the United States "can never let Iran obtain nuclear weapons...This is not just in Israel's interest; it is in America's interest and the world's interest." Following the plenary session, more than 5,000 Policy Conference delegates took to Capitol Hill for some 500 Congressional lobbying appointments.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Republican Leader John Boehner addressed the closing session of AIPAC's 2008 Policy Conference, stressing the importance of pro-Israel political activism and Congressional support for the vital ties between the United States and Israel. Following the plenary session, more than 5,000 Policy Conference delegates took to Capitol Hill for some 500 Congressional lobbying appointments.

A top-flight panel of four Middle East experts shared their thoughts on the many challenges that the United States and Israel face in the region. Ambassador Dennis Ross discussed the intricacies of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, while Elizabeth Cheney, former deputy secretary of state for Near East Affairs, shared insight from her time as a senior policymaker. Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighted the challenges the next U.S. presidential administration will face in the years ahead. And finally, former Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh emphasized the growing danger of Iran's efforts to enrich uranium - a key step toward developing nuclear weapons. Moderating the discussion was Dan Senor, adjunct senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Click here to listen to the panel discussion.

More than 7,000 activists, students and scholars from all 50 states traveled to the nation's capital on June 2-4 for AIPAC's 2008 Policy Conference, the pro-Israel community's premier annual event. The conference-AIPAC's largest ever-featured addresses from top U.S. policymakers, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate. Both the Democratic and Republican presumptive nominees for president-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)-spoke to the record crowd, as did Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY). Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed the Gala Banquet, which was attended by nearly half of Congress. Over three jam-packed days, Policy Conference participants chose from hundreds of informative sessions, before heading to Capitol Hill to lobby in support of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.