[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF ISRAEL

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in congratulating 
the people of Israel on the 50th anniversary of their independence.
  Fifty years ago, Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, 
declared the establishment of the State of Israel, ending a centuries-
old struggle by the Jewish people to return to their rightful ancestral 
homeland. The modern dream of a Jewish state had been reborn over 50 
years earlier, when Theodore Herzl shared his vision of such a nation 
during the First World Zionist Conference in Switzerland. Our 
predecessors in the U.S. Congress supported this vision when they 
passed a resolution in 1922, calling for the founding of a Jewish 
nation.
  Tragically, the Jewish people were unable to achieve that great goal 
during the early years of the modern Zionist movement. They were forced 
to endure the most brutal and systematic repression of a people that 
humanity has ever witnessed. The six million Jewish men, women, and 
children who lost their lives during the Holocaust had committed no 
crime. They were killed, not because of anything they had done, but 
because of who they were, as part of an inhuman, racist policy that 
robbed its victims of both life and dignity. The extraordinary courage 
with which the Jewish people bore this tragedy is a timeless tribute to 
their enduring faith, and we owe the victims and the survivors a 
commitment that such persecution and prejudice will never occur again.
  From its beginning 50 years ago, the nation of Israel has had a very 
close and special relationship with the United States. In a perennially 
turbulent and unpredictable region of the world, Israel has always been 
a bulwark of stability. It is our closest ally not only in the Middle 
East, but also in the United Nations. And during times of crisis and 
conflict in the region, this bond has only been strengthened.
  It was no coincidence that America was chosen as the site for the 
historic Declaration of Principles agreement between the Israeli and 
the Palestinian people in 1993, since we have always worked with great 
dedication and commitment to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle 
East. The Israeli people know that we will continue to work with them 
and support them during this long and difficult peace process.
  No other ethnic or religious group in human history had endured so 
much pain and prejudice and overcome so many enormous difficulties in 
establishing a nation of their own. No other new nation faced so great 
a threat to its immediate survival as did Israel during its first year 
of existence. They have created a thriving democracy in a region known 
for its dictatorships. They have generously opened their land to Jews 
from all over the world. As we celebrate this inspiring Golden 
Anniversary of the birth of Israel, we also honor and commend the 
Israeli people for their courage and commitment in achieving their 
dream of a homeland and in building the strong and vital democracy and 
friend that Israel is today.

                          ____________________