[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENSE OF CONGRESS ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDING OF MODERN STATE OF 
                                 ISRAEL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. OWEN B. PICKETT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 1998

  Mr. PICKETT. Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Zoberman, the spiritual leader of 
Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia and past 
President of the Hampton Roads Board of Rabbis and the Virginia Beach 
Clergy Association, made the following statement on the occasion of the 
50th anniversary of the State of Israel:

       The Jubilee anniversary of the State of Israel is not an 
     ordinary occasion. Rather it is a poignant reminder of the 
     durability of a dream; reflecting the daring of a people 
     small in physical size but large in vision, not to depart 
     from history's stage in spite of immense and harassing 
     pressure to the contrary.
       Throughout the two millennia of dispersion following the 
     Roman devastation, the Jewish people skillfully integrated 
     their longing for Zion into their spiritual quest and way of 
     life, bonding themselves to the land where they came to be 
     and which served as the dramatic setting for fashioning a 
     transforming Biblical legacy that continues to inspire as 
     well as challenge humanity.
       Israel was driven not only by its particular agenda of 
     uniqueness and survival, attempting to transcend both 
     geographic and tribal boundaries in a fervent embrace of a 
     universal message of shalom unshaken by its painfully 
     experienced lack of it. Thus its undying hope for the welfare 
     of the human family became a source of consolation and 
     strength in its struggle to persevere in face of terrifying 
     odds. Its welcomed return into the family of nations came 
     only after the tragedy of the Holocaust deprived it of a 
     third of its people, destroying European Jewry and 
     threatening the very continuity of an ancient folk, 
     ironically entering the period of modernity with enormous 
     trust in the inevitable progress of the human species and its 
     ability to overcome past limitations.
       Colonial rule over Palestine first by the Turks for four 
     hundred years and then, from 1917 to 1948 under the British 
     Mandate, coupled with growing Arab antagonism and hostility 
     toward the Jewish presence, made the fulfillment of the 
     prophetic promise of return so much more trying. Winning 
     independence following the support of the United Nations and 
     the defeat of the invading Arab armies by the meager and ill-
     equipped Israeli forces, was the beginning to an arduous 
     journey of absorbing millions of Jewish refugees from 
     decimated Nazi-Europe and persecuting Arab lands. My own 
     family of Polish survivors was among them, seeking the 
     blessing of healing in rebuilding shattered lives while 
     giving birth to a dynamic democratic society, still the only 
     one in the Middle East, with the demanding agenda to be 
     faithful to the noble principles of its great legacy of 
     values and vast suffering.
       How remarkable are the accomplishments of the reborn entity 
     in light of a constricting environment of mighty obstacles, 
     constantly exposed to moral danger! It has managed to create, 
     out of necessity, one of the best militaries in the world in 
     the context of a vibrantly flourishing Western culture, 
     establishing renowned institutions of higher learning, 
     rescuing and integrating immigrants from multiple and diverse 
     backgrounds such as Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union, 
     reaching out to help Asian and African countries, developing 
     a significant hi-tech industry and offering new models of 
     creative communal living, most notably the kibbutz.
       Israel's stamina and determination to prevail and thrive, 
     demonstrated also on the battlefield, time and again, finally 
     convinced its largest Arab foe of the wisdom of concluding 
     peace in 1979 and Jordan followed suit in 1994, in the wake 
     of the 1993 rapprochement with the Palestinians. The Peace 
     Process already proven beneficial to both sides, economically 
     and diplomatically, has dangerously slowed down given the 
     watershed assassination of Prime Minister Rabin who suffered 
     the fate of martyred President Sadat, acts of wanton 
     terrorism against Israelis, and the election into power of 
     Prime Minister Netanyahu who represents a different 
     ideological bent from that of his predecessor in office. 
     However, the Peace Process is bound to eventually gather 
     momentum and actively involve the essential partnerships of 
     Syria and Lebanon in an irreversible historical movement to 
     advance the families of the region exposed to the threat of 
     Fundamentalism and the likes of Saddam Hussein, toward a 
     future free from the stranglehold of bloodshed, ignorance, 
     prejudice and poverty. The role of the United States, the 
     sole left superpower, as broker, in the unfolding destiny of 
     the Middle East, remains of critical importance. It has stood 
     by Israel, its trusted and faithful friend and ally, in times 
     of war and in search for peace, continuing to be a beacon of 
     hope at the crossroads of historic change and uncertainty 
     with both opportunity and risk. American Jewry being a 
     pivotal position, has been entrusted to serve as a proud 
     bridge, connecting a mighty nation and a small but enduring 
     people, bound together by a common yearning to hallow the 
     human experience and consecrate the divine gift of life.

     

                          ____________________