[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PAYING RESPECTS TO PRESIDENT EPHRAIM KATZIR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 3, 2009

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay my 
respects to a great statesman and an important world leader. This past 
Saturday, Ephraim Katzir, the fourth President of the State of Israel, 
passed away at the age of 93.
  Over a long and remarkable life, President Katzir dedicated himself 
to the security of the State of Israel and the progress of mankind. In 
addition to being a leading Israeli statesman, President Katzir was a 
world-renowned biophysicist, performing groundbreaking research in 
defense studies and the natural sciences. After receiving his Ph.D. 
from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Katzir went on to study and 
teach at leading American universities, such as Harvard, Columbia, and 
UCLA. He then returned to Israel to lead the Department of Biophysics 
at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and later became the chief 
scientist for the Israel Defense Forces. Katzir was awarded the Israel 
Prize--the state's highest civilian honor--for his work in natural 
science, and was the inaugural recipient of the Japan Prize for 
``original and outstanding achievements in science'' and ``having 
advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and 
prosperity for mankind.'' He was also elected into the British Royal 
Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, and in 1996 
became the first Israeli inducted into the American Academy of 
Sciences.
  In 1973, Ephraim Katzir answered Prime Minster Golda Meir's call to 
serve as President of Israel. During the first year of his tenure, 
Israel was attacked by her Egyptian and Syrian neighbors in the Yom 
Kippur War. Just four years later, President Katzir and Prime Minister 
Menachem Begin welcomed Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat to Jerusalem, 
making Sadat the first Arab leader to visit the Jewish capital. This 
visit, combined with President Katzir's dedication to peace and human 
progress, led to the Camp David Accords a year later and an easing in 
the previously contentious Israeli-Egyptian relations.
  Like Cincinnatus returning to his field, President Katzir chose to 
not stand for a second term, instead returning to his studies and 
spending time with his beloved wife, Nina. Though an able public 
servant, Katzir was never motivated by power not defined by his 
position. His integrity and intellect had few peers, and his devotion 
to the State of Israel was sincere and complete. As a scientist, a 
politician, and a proud citizen, President Katzir dedicated his life to 
a Jewish state for the Jewish people. Through his stewardship of the 
Office of President, President Katzir handed down to later generations 
a safe and prosperous nation.
  The prophet Isaiah writes, ``Those who walk uprightly enter into 
peace; they find rest as they lie in death.'' On behalf of the Fifth 
District of New Jersey, I wish peace for former President Katzir, and 
convey my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and country.

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