The following speech was delivered as an invocation and a prayer by Rabbi Milton Balkany in support of President George Bush’s endeavor into the Middle East, with Vice President Dan Quayle.

“Almighty Father in Heaven, in these trying and turbulent days we turn to you in prayer.
Wars are won, as history has made abundantly clear, by leaders, generals and soldiers, but only if You, G-d wills it.

We therefore beseech you to be with our proud courageous and patriotic sons and daughters in the desert, on the seas and in the air. Protect and guide them so that they obliterate the enemy’s capability to resist.  You can not destroy a tree by merely plucking away its leaves. It is necessary to extract the tree by the roots, and so too the power of the ruthless and vicious tyrant Sadaam Hussein and his cohorts.

We applaud the administration for the preparedness in developing the strategic defense initiative.

Bless the President of the United States and our guest the Vice President Dan Quayle for their heroic conduct and their inspiration which rallied the nations to support our endeavors. They have demonstrated the true meaning of freedom. Freedom does not mean the right to do whatever you may choose. It is rather the responsibility to do what is right.

Bless them and all those who are engaged in this mighty struggle, including the one and only citadel of democracy in the Middle East, the State of Israel.”

Rabbi Milton Balkany, in a truly inspired invocation, blesses and praises all those involved in furthering the cause of peace and freedom in the Middle East and the rest of the world.