U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand discusses Israel during visit to Westhampton Beach

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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand emphasized the importance of the country’s continued support and protection of Israel in an address to 1,100 people at the Hampton Synagogue Saturday morning, a speech met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

Ms. Gillibrand, who was making her first speech in a Jewish house of worship since Governor David Paterson appointed her to the Senate in late January to fill the seat left vacant by Hllary Rodham Clinton who is now the U.S. Secretary of State, spoke for about 15 minutes, toward the end of the Westhampton Beach synagogue’s morning religious services. The junior senator highlighted how important Israel is to her and pointed out the work she has done as a member of the U.S. Senate’s foreign relations committee.

“The U.S. and Israel are friends and we do not want to break that bond,” said Ms. Gillibrand, who is not Jewish. “We need to keep Israel safe.”

Bethany Lesser, Ms. Gillibrand’s deputy communications director, said the senator will be traveling to Israel again in September with members of the foreign relations committee. Exact plans for her trip are not yet in place, Ms. Lesser noted.

Before Ms. Gillibrand spoke Saturday, Hampton Synagogue Rabbi Marc Schneier made an analogy between the new senator and Moses. He explained that when Moses, who was the leader of the Jewish people, was asked by God to enter the promised land, he had to select a successor. Two choices presented themselves to Moses: he could chose either Phineas or Joshua. Rabbi Schneier said Phineas was known for his zealotry and often made headlines, while Joshua was more “low key” and worked hard behind the scenes.

Moses ultimately chose Joshua, similar to how Governor Paterson tapped Ms. Gillibrand over other potential high-profile candidates, such as Caroline Kennedy and New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

“Joshua was a terrific choice,” Rabbi Schneier said. “Ms. Gillibrand was a fabulous choice.”

During her speech, Ms. Gillibrand recalled a trip she took to Israel in the mid-1990s. During that trip, Ms. Gillibrand said she learned much about the nation, which was created in 1948.

“I saw how important the threat of bombs and rockets in schools are in Israel,” Ms. Gillibrand said, noting that she is a mother with two sons, Theodore, 5, and Henry, 1. “Israel has to have every right to defend itself.”

Ms. Gillibrand explained that she co-sponsored House Resolution 34, which makes a verbal commitment to Israel’s welfare and recognizes the nation’s right to have secure borders and act in self-defense. The resolution also condemns Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic political organization that has launched suicide bombs against Israel.

In addition to providing Israel with physical support, Ms. Gillibrand said that Americans need to work on changing the mind-set of some of those living in the Middle East. “There is a strain of anti-Semitism in the Middle East that we need to eradicate,” Ms. Gillibrand said.

Ms. Gillibrand continued on that point, stating that Israel is an important ally for the United States in the battle to prevent Iran from securing nuclear weapons.

“There is not a lot of time before Iran has nuclear weapons,” Ms. Gillibrand said, adding that both the United States and Israel need to stick together. “We need to ensure [that] they do not move to nuclear capability.”

Iran’s nuclear program began in the 1960s and President Barack Obama has recently started re-evaluating his approach to that growing threat. Former President George W. Bush believed that Iran would use nuclear weapons in order to intimidate its neighbors and threaten the existence of Israel, according to published articles.

Ms. Gillibrand also broached the topic of recent events stateside, such as the attempted bombings of a Bronx synagogue in May and the shooting at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in June.

The senator noted that she supported the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which appropriates $20 million to protect civil, religious and community institutions from terrorist attacks. Ms. Gillibrand pushed for the bill to be passed after a plan to bomb a synagogue in Riverdale was thwarted, according to a release from the senator’s press office.

Members of the Hampton Synagogue said they enjoyed Ms. Gillibrand’s speech and agreed with most of her points.

“It was the first time I heard her speak,” said Herman Kotter of Westhampton Beach. “She was impressive and covered a wide variety of topics.”

Ari Goodman, who splits his time between Westhampton and Manhattan, said that he also agreed with Ms. Gillibrand’s stance on Israel.

“It’s our strongest ally in the Middle East,” Mr. Goodman said about Israel, noting that it is the only democracy in the region. “As much as we help them, they help us.”