[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E676-E677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ISRAEL'S INDEPENDENCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 56th 
anniversary of Israel's independence.
  The dream of a Jewish state stretches back two millennia to the 
destruction of the ancient Jewish kingdom of Israel. At the end of the 
Nineteenth Century, after the two thousand years of diaspora, 
persecution, and pogroms, Theodor Herzl and his fellow Zionists began 
the drive to revive the Jewish homeland. The unspeakable horrors of the 
Holocaust cemented the necessity of a Jewish state, and Israel was 
finally established as a sovereign and independent nation on May 14, 
1948.

[[Page E677]]

  In the 56 years since its establishment, Israel has served as a 
beacon of democracy in the Middle East. In the face of war, terrorism, 
and frequent diplomatic isolation, Israeli society has flourished 
because of the pluralism, freedom, and human rights guaranteed by 
Israel's democracy. These democratic values have sustained a strong 
alliance between Israel and the United States, an alliance of 
friendship, principles, strategy, and a commitment to defeat terror.
  Perhaps more than any other nation, Israel understands the dilemmas 
faced by a democratic society confronted with terror. Terrorism 
threatens the institutions that nurture Israel's prosperity--both 
through the bloodshed it engenders and through the sacrifices of civil 
liberties necessary to achieve security. Israel has admirably 
maintained an open, democratic society in spite of relentless threats 
to its citizens. We in America must salute this accomplishment and try 
to learn from the Israeli experience how to balance homeland security 
and a free society.
  Much as its existence has been constantly challenged over its 
turbulent history, Israel currently faces critical threats to its well-
being. The cycle of terrorist violence and reprisals shows no signs of 
ceasing, and the virulent specter of anti-Semitism remains a staple in 
the Middle East and is resurgent in Western Europe. However, we must 
embrace the cautious optimism embodied in Israel's national anthem, 
Hatikvah, which means ``the hope.'' We hope that Israel will continue 
to serve as the ``light unto the nations'' that Herzl envisioned more 
than a century ago and that Israel's 57th year will be a time of peace 
throughout the region.

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