WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama in his Rosh Hashanah message reaffirmed his commitment to Israel and called for reflection on economic hardship and the struggle for democracy worldwide.
"My Administration is doing everything we can to promote prosperity here at home and security and peace throughout the world — and that includes reaffirming our commitment to the State of Israel," he said in a video message posted Tuesday, just over a day before the Jewish New Year begins. "While we cannot know all that the New Year will bring, we do know this: The United States will continue to stand with Israel because the bond between our two nations is unshakable."
Recalling the previous year, Obama said it was "one of hardship for people around the world. Too many of our friends and neighbors continue to struggle in the wake of a terrible economic recession."
The president mined hope, however, in what he described as a new generation "reaching for their universal rights."
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