[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF ISRAEL

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it is my honor today to offer my 
congratulations to the State of Israel on the 50th anniversary of its 
independence. I am a great supporter and admirer of our close friend 
and ally, and I am proud it has survived and prospered to see this 
momentous day.
  In 1948, the modern State of Israel was created as a symbol of hope 
for the Jewish people--a people who had suffered through the horror and 
pain of the Holocaust. We will never forget the terrible evil the Nazis 
inflicted on the world and we will always remember the dangers of 
ignoring and appeasing fanatic leaders who climb the ladder by 
trampling on the innocent.
  What emerged from 3,000 years of persecution and the nightmare of the 
Holocaust is the greatest tribute to the perseverance of the Jewish 
people, the State of Israel. Israel has persevered through war, through 
the murder of its citizens by cowardly terrorists, and through the 
assassination of its leaders.
  I am proud to say that the United States has helped Israel survive 
and become the strong nation it is today. The United States has a 
special relationship with Israel. As two of the world's leading 
democracies, we share many of the same values: promoting democracy, 
personal freedom, and human rights throughout the world. We owe the 
Israeli people our moral support, for weathering as a free state under 
the most dangerous conditions. As Americans, we must admire their 
tenacious dedication to the principles of freedom articulated in our 
own country so long ago.
  Fifty years ago, Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, 
broadcast this statement to the Israeli people:

       Something unique occurred yesterday in Israel, and only 
     future generations will be able to evaluate the full 
     historical significance of the event. It is now up to all of 
     us, acting out of a sense of Jewish fraternity, to devote 
     every ounce of our strength to building and defending the 
     State of Israel, which still faces a titanic political and 
     military struggle.
       Now is not the time for boasting. Whatever we have achieved 
     is the result of the efforts of earlier generations no less 
     than our own. It is also the result of unwavering fidelity to 
     our precious heritage, the heritage of a small nation that 
     has suffered much, but at the same time has won for itself a 
     special place in the history of mankind because of its 
     spirit, faith and vision.

  To me, the spirit, faith and vision of the Israeli people is what 
makes this celebration of Israel so special and remarkable. I 
congratulate Israel on the 50th anniversary of its founding.

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