WASHINGTON – Most Americans concerned about foreign affairs are focused on Iraq and, more recently, Iran. But a speech last week by President Bush served as a sharp reminder that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in this country’s vital interest as well.

Bush, speaking to a dinner audience of 2,500 marking the centennial of the American Jewish Committee, starkly reiterated America’s strong support for Israel as a bastion for freedom and democracy in the Middle East.

“America’s commitment to Israel’s security is strong, enduring and unshakable,” the president declared, to enthusiastic applause.

Joining in the celebration was German Chancellor Angela Merkel, which shows how far we’ve come since Germany was bent on exterminating the Jews during World War II.

Since then, a vanquished Germany has become a democracy, and a democratic Israeli state has been established in the Middle East. Those developments bolster Bush’s thesis – which he regularly outlines in speeches about the need to spread freedom – that “democracies don’t war with each other.” That includes countries that were sworn enemies in their pre-democracy days.

Bush also cites the example of Japan, another former enemy that is now a democracy and a U.S. ally. He believes the same transformation will take place in Iraq.

“Our goal in Iraq is to have an ally in the war on terror and to help that young country establish an Iraqi-style democracy,” Bush told the pro-Israel crowd.

But Israel still faces serious threats to its security and sovereignty. Many of the country’s Arab neighbors, including heads of governments in the region, hate the idea of a Jewish state in their midst and are bent on destroying it. Iraq’s deposed leader, Saddam Hussein, was one of them. So is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has vowed that Israel must be “wiped off the map.”

The Palestinian people recently elected a government headed by Hamas, a terrorist group also bent on destroying Israel. That’s a formidable obstacle to negotiating a permanent peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.

Bush said firmly, “I’m a strong believer in democracy and free elections, but that does not mean we have to support elected officials who are not committed to peace. … Hamas must accept the demands of the international community to recognize Israel, disarm and reject terrorism, and stop blocking the path to peace.”

In introducing Merkel, Bush noted that she grew up in East Germany during the Cold War and “understands what it means to live in a free society. She understands the power of liberty.”

Merkel, to warm applause, recalled the horror of the Holocaust and pledged that Germany would not falter in its support of Israel.

“The right of existence of the state of Israel must never be questioned,” Merkel declared.

She also denounced Iranian threats against Israel.

“It is intolerable for any German government when the Iranian president questions the right of Israel’s existence,” she said.

Merkel has been working with Bush and members of the United Nations Security Council to negotiate an end to Iranian efforts to build nuclear weapons that could target Israel and the United States if smuggled into the hands of terrorists.

She also joined Bush in calling on Hamas to “reject violence and acknowledge without ambiguity Israel’s right to exist.”

Polls show that our strong support for Israel is a major reason many Middle East Arabs hate the United States. But Bush shows no signs of backing down. Neither does Merkel. Their quest for peace is difficult, but in both leaders, a belief in freedom burns strong.

Armed with that belief, the two countries that once were bitter enemies will be formidable allies.