Tonight Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that Israel would remain the master of its own fate in preventing nuclear annihilation by Iran.

The response by the 13,000 AIPAC members was tumultuous — when he was introduced, throughout his speech, and when he concluded. At times the cheering threatened to drown out his words. There were so many standing ovations that Marcy and I almost decided just to remain standing.

Many members of Congress and officials of the executive branch were in attendance. They had to be moved by Netanyahu’s words and the audience’s response.

Rick and Marcy Cornfeld are Co-Chairs of the St. Louis AIPAC Council and are blogging from AIPAC’s Policy Conference 2012 in Washington, D.C.