[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 62 (Thursday, May 12, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             YOM HAATZMAUT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2005

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Israel as it celebrates 
the 57th anniversary of Yom HaAtzmaut, Independence Day. The Jewish 
nation rose from the ashes of World War II, and became a symbol of the 
survival of the Jewish people. Despite the genocidal actions of the 
Nazis, Jewish survivors of the Holocaust emigrated to Israel and 
dedicated themselves to transforming this desert region into a thriving 
nation.
  Israel has never known a day of true peace. On May 14, 1948, the 5th 
of lyar in the Hebrew calendar, the British Mandate expired and Israel 
declared its independence. That evening, the United States recognized 
the new nation. Less than 24 hours later, the regular armies of Egypt, 
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq invaded Israel, forcing the fledgling 
state to fight for its survival. The War of Independence endured 
intermittently over the course of 15 months and claimed over 6,000 
Israeli lives (nearly one percent of the country's Jewish population at 
the time). Since that time, Israel has fought to defend itself over and 
over again, in the 1956 War, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the 
Lebanon War and most recently, against two intifadas.
  Reviled by its neighbors, Israel has nonetheless succeeded in 
becoming a vibrant democracy with one of the strongest economies in the 
Middle East. While it began as a poor agricultural nation, Israel has 
recently become a leader in technology research and development. 
Indeed, Israel's standard of living rivals that of any Western nation.
  Mr. Speaker, on this day of Yom HaAtzmaut, I would like to recall the 
words spoken by Levi Eshkol, Prime Minister of Israel, at the end of 
the Six Day War: ``We saw clearly that this is no mere ingathering of 
the exiles, but a new yet ancient nation, a united nation, which has 
been tempered in the furnace of one Israel, forged out of all our 
tribes and the remnants of scattered communities they, their sons and 
daughters. A nation has come into being which is ready for any effort 
or sacrifice in order to achieve its goals.''
  Mr. Speaker, I salute the people ofIsrael as they celebrate the 57th 
anniversary of the founding of their nation, and hope to join them in 
celebrating many more years of independence.

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