[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 260 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 260

 Recognizing the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the State of 
   Israel, and reaffirming unequivocal support for the alliance and 
            friendship between the United States and Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 13, 2010

 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Klein of Florida, Mr. Boehner, Mr. 
 Moore of Kansas, Mr. Cantor, Mr. Towns, Mr. Pence, Mr. Rothman of New 
 Jersey, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Peters, Mr. Hoekstra, Ms. Corrine 
  Brown of Florida, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Himes, Mr. McKeon, Mr. 
   Adler of New Jersey, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Patrick J. 
Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Garrett of New Jersey, Ms. Richardson, Mr. 
Price of Georgia, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, and 
 Ms. Wasserman Schultz) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the State of 
   Israel, and reaffirming unequivocal support for the alliance and 
            friendship between the United States and Israel.

Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence;
Whereas Israel has provided Jews from all over the world with the opportunity to 
        reestablish and participate in a Jewish state and society in their 
        ancient homeland, the Land of Israel, with the city of Jerusalem as its 
        undivided capital;
Whereas Israel is home to many religious sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, 
        and Islam;
Whereas Israel has provided a refuge to Jews who survived the unprecedented 
        horrors of the Holocaust;
Whereas Israel has also provided a refuge to, and has successfully absorbed, 
        more than 800,000 Jewish refugees who fled persecution in neighboring 
        countries in the Middle East;
Whereas the people of Israel have established a pluralistic democracy that 
        incorporates 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 repeated military and terrorist 
        attacks since it declared its independence;
Whereas the thousands of rocket attacks from violent extremist groups in Gaza 
        against Israeli civilian targets in recent years have caused hundreds of 
        casualties and have destroyed homes, schools, buildings, roads, power 
        lines, and other significant infrastructure;
Whereas several Israeli soldiers, including Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit, continue to 
        be held hostage by violent militant groups;
Whereas Israel has signed landmark peace treaties and successfully established 
        peaceful bilateral relations with neighboring Egypt and Jordan;
Whereas despite the deaths of over 1,000 innocent Israelis over the last several 
        years at the hands of murderous homicide bombers and other violent 
        militants, the people of Israel continue to seek peace with their 
        Palestinian neighbors;
Whereas successive Israeli governments, including the present one, have 
        demonstrated through both words and specific actions that Israel is 
        committed to the United States-Israel relationship and to the peace 
        process;
Whereas the present Government of Israel, for the sake of peace, has made 
        concessions which Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on October 
        31, 2009, described as ``unprecedented'';
Whereas President Barack Obama, on June 4, 2008, stated that ``Jerusalem will 
        remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided.'';
Whereas the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (PL 104-45) states that it is the 
        policy of the United States that ``Jerusalem should remain an undivided 
        city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are 
        protected'' and that ``Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of 
        the State of Israel'';
Whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on March 22, 2010, stated 
        that ``The connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel 
        cannot be denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem 
        cannot be denied . . . Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our 
        capital.'';
Whereas Vice President Joe Biden, speaking in Jerusalem on March 9, 2010, stated 
        that `` . . . progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows 
        there is simply no space between the United States and Israel.'';
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on March 22, 2010, stated 
        that ``This Administration will always stand up for Israel's right to 
        defend itself. And for Israel, there is no greater strategic threat than 
        the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran.'';
Whereas the Government of Iran, which rejects Israel's right to exist, is a 
        continued threat to Israel's safety and security, both through its 
        sponsorship of Foreign Terrorist Organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah 
        and through its ongoing efforts to acquire nuclear weapons and the 
        missiles to deliver them;
Whereas the United States and Israel enjoy a longstanding strategic partnership 
        and friendship based on shared interests, democratic values, amity, and 
        respect, and that include educational, scientific, technological, 
        intelligence, military, and homeland security cooperation;
Whereas the people of the United States share a deep affinity with the people of 
        Israel and view Israel as a strong and trusted ally;
Whereas the United States was one of the first nations to recognize the State of 
        Israel, only 11 minutes after its creation; and
Whereas Israel's Independence Day on the Jewish calendar coincides this year 
        with April 20, 2010: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the significance of the 62nd anniversary of 
        the establishment of the State of Israel as a place of refuge 
        and national homeland for the Jewish people;
            (2) reaffirms its enduring, bipartisan support for the 
        alliance and friendship between the Governments and peoples of 
        the United States and Israel, for Israel's security and right 
        to exist as a democratic, Jewish state, and for its right to 
        defend itself;
            (3) commends the people of Israel for their remarkable 
        achievements, in the face of adversity, during the past 62 
        years; and
            (4) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the 
        people of Israel as they celebrate the 62nd anniversary of 
        Israel's independence.
                                 <all>