III 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 151 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 19, 2005 Mr. Frist (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Lieberman, and Mrs. Dole) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing the 57th Anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel.

Whereas in May 1948, the State of Israel was established as a sovereign and independent nation; Whereas the United States was one of the first nations to recognize Israel, only 11 minutes after its creation; Whereas Israel has provided the opportunity for Jews from all over the world to reestablish their ancient homeland; Whereas Israel is home to many religious sites which are sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Whereas Israel provided a refuge to Jews who survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the evils committed by the Nazis which were unprecedented in human history; Whereas the people of Israel have established a unique, pluralistic democracy which includes the freedoms cherished by the people of the United States, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and government by the consent of the governed; Whereas Israel continues to serve as a shining model of democratic values by regularly holding free and fair elections, promoting the free exchange of ideas, and vigorously exercising in its Parliament, the Knesset, a democratic government that is fully representative of its citizens; Whereas Israel has bravely defended itself from attacks repeatedly since independence; Whereas the Government of Israel has successfully worked with the neighboring Governments of Egypt and Jordan to establish peaceful, bilateral relations; Whereas, despite the deaths of over one thousand innocent Israelis at the hands of murderous, suicide bombers and other terrorists during the past 4 years, the people of Israel continue to seek peace with their Palestinian neighbors; Whereas the United States and Israel enjoy a strategic partnership based on shared mutual democratic values, friendship, and respect; Whereas the people of the United States share affinity with the people of Israel and view Israel as a strong and trusted ally; and Whereas Israel has made significant global contributions in the fields of science, medicine, and technology: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes the independence of the State of Israel as a significant event in providing refuge and a national homeland for the Jewish people; (2)strongly supports efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, including the disengagement plan of the Israeli government, the Roadmap, and the recent Quartet decision to appoint World Bank President James Wolfensohn as Coordinator for Gaza Disengagement; (3)commends the bipartisan commitment of all United States administrations and United States Congresses since 1948 to stand by Israel and work for its security and well-being; and (4)extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the people of Israel as they celebrate the 57th anniversary of Israel’s independence.