[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             56TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL'S INDEPENDENCE DAY

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to rise today to recognize 
and honor the 56th Anniversary of Israel's Independence Day. With the 
establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish independence was 
restored.
  I commend the Israeli people for their remarkable achievements in 
building a new state and a pluralistic and democratic society in the 
Middle East in the face of terrorism and hostility. On this occasion, I 
extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to the state of 
Israel and her people for a peaceful, prosperous, and successful 
future.
  Independence Day is a celebration of the renewal of the Jewish state 
in the Land of Israel, the birthplace of the Jewish people. In this 
land, the Jewish people began to develop its distinctive religion and 
culture some 4,000 years ago, and here it has preserved an unbroken 
physical presence, for centuries as a sovereign state, at other times 
under foreign control.
  On this 56th Anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, 
we recognize that the Israeli people have created one of the leading 
nations in the fields of science, technology, medicine, and 
agriculture. The people of Israel have established a vibrant and 
functioning pluralistic and democratic political system that guarantees 
the freedoms of speech and press, and free, fair, and open elections 
with respect for the rule of law. With a strong democracy in a troubled 
part of the world, Israel has absorbed millions of new immigrants from 
all over the world. Some of these immigrants arrived without a single 
possession, but Israel welcomed them by providing housing, education, 
social security, and health care.
  I rise also to condemn the rising tide of anti-Semitism around the 
globe and to demonstrate the United States' lasting bond of friendship 
and cooperation with Israel, which has existed for the past 56 years.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in recognizing and paying tribute to the state of 
Israel as she celebrates her 56th Independence Day and again extend my 
warmest wishes for a peaceful and prosperous future.

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