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
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.