In a statement on Wednesday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) congratulated Israel on its 60th Independence Day. “The United States will always stand with Israel to ensure it can defend itself against threat of terrorism and violence, from as close as Gaza and as far as Tehran,” Obama said.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) criticized the governments of China, Iran, Myanmar, Sudan, North Korea and Saudi Arabia for religious repression and promised to make religious freedom “a subject of great importance” in his foreign policy as president. He also pledged to create an inter-agency task force to combat human trafficking (CNN).