[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E708-E709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE MODERN STATE OF 
                                 ISRAEL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 22, 2008

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 60th anniversary of 
the founding of the State of Israel.
  I am just a few years older than the State of Israel, and I remember, 
as a little Jewish girl, the pride and joy my family felt that a Jewish 
state was a reality. My parents expressed tremendous relief that there 
was now a place in the world safe for Holocaust survivors, and a haven 
for all Jewish people wherever we may live.
  We watched with amazement as an arid land turned green as it was 
transformed into farms and towns. We ourselves planted trees in Israel 
by buying a tree certificate and gave it to our family friends on every 
special occasion, so we could participate in making the desert bloom. 
We all stood a bit taller, and every Passover, the holiday of freedom, 
was sweeter because Israel wasn't just a longing of our people, but a 
real country on the map.
  That pride burns brightly today. Sixty years later, Israel has 
weathered war and terrorism and remains a strong, thriving democracy--
the only democratic nation in the Middle East and America's closest 
friend and ally in the region. Israel has become a resource for the 
United States and the world because of her groundbreaking discoveries 
in the areas of medicine, energy, clean water, and security 
technologies.
  On her 60th anniversary, the vibrant Jewish community in the 
Chicagoland area is proud of Israel's pioneering leadership and the 
strong United States-Israel bond, and works hard every day to 
strengthen and refresh that relationship.

[[Page E709]]

  I will always support the State of Israel, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H. Con. Res 322.

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