English: President George W. Bush stands with Dalia Itzik, Speaker of the Knesset, and Israel’s President Shimon Peres on the floor of the Knesset Thursday, May 15, 2008, in Jerusalem. During his remarks to the members of the Israel parliament, President Bush said, “We gather to mark a momentous occasion. Sixty years ago in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel's independence, founded on the "natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate." What followed was more than the establishment of a new country. It was the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham and Moses and David -- a homeland for the chosen people Eretz Yisrael.” White House photo by Shealah Craighead