[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2010

  Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
62nd Anniversary of the Jewish State of Israel. On April 19, 2010, 
Israel celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut, the national Independence Day of 
Israel, which commemorates its founding in 1948. In that spirit, the 
following is an op-ed I wrote regarding the benefits of U.S. aid to 
Israel.

Rothman: The Dividends of U.S. Support For Israel--April 13, 2010--The 
                                Record.

       The argument that American military aid to Israel is 
     damaging to the United States is not only erroneous, it hurts 
     the national security interests of this country and threatens 
     the survival of Israel.
       U.S. support for Israel is essential, not only for Israel's 
     national security, but for America's. Every bit of that 
     support--and more--withstands all reasonable scrutiny.
       Under the 2010 U.S. budget, about $75 billion, $65 billion 
     and $3.25 billion will be spent on military operations and 
     aid in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan during this fiscal 
     year, respectively. Israel will receive $3 billion, in 
     military aid only. There is no economic aid to Israel, other 
     than loan guarantees that continue to be repaid in full and 
     on time.
       There isn't enough space here to discuss the relative 
     merits of the expenditures in these other countries, but we 
     already know the critically important return we get for 
     helping our oldest, most trusted ally in the strategically 
     important Middle East--the most powerful military force in 
     that region, the pro-United States, pro-West and democratic 
     Jewish state of Israel.
       Here's how:
       First, it's important to remember that about 70 percent of 
     the $3 billion aid must be used by Israel to purchase 
     American military equipment. This provides real support for 
     U.S. high-tech defense jobs and contributes to maintaining 
     our industrial base. This helps the United States stay at the 
     very top in the manufacturing of our own cutting-edge 
     military munitions, aircraft, vehicles, missiles and 
     virtually every defensive and offensive weapon in the U.S. 
     arsenal--with the added contribution of Israel's renowned 
     technical know-how.
       Second, the United States and Israel are jointly developing 
     state-of-the-art missile defense capabilities in the David's 
     Sling and Arrow 3 systems. These two technologies build on 
     the already successful Arrow 2, jointly developed by our two 
     countries, which is already providing missile defense 
     security to Israel and U.S. civilians and ground troops 
     throughout the region.


                          A multiplier effect

       The knowledge we gain from these efforts also has a 
     positive multiplier effect on applications to other US. 
     military and non-military uses and jobs here.
       Third, given Israel's strategic location on the 
     Mediterranean, with access to the Red Sea and other vital 
     international shipping and military lanes of commerce and 
     traffic, it is critically important to the United States that 
     Israel continue to serve as a port of call for our troops, 
     ships, aircraft and intelligence operations.
       Israel also has permitted the United States to stockpile 
     arms, fuel, munitions and other supplies on its soil to be 
     accessed whenever America needs them in the region.
       Fourth, America's special relationship with Israel provides 
     us with real-time, minute-to-minute access to one of the 
     best, intelligence services in the world: Israel's. With 
     Israeli agents gathering intelligence and taking action 
     throughout the Middle East and, literally, around the world, 
     regarding al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas, the US. 
     receives invaluable information about anti-U.S. and terrorist 
     organizations and regimes.
       Fifth, imagine the additional terrible cost in U.S. blood, 
     and the hundreds of billions more of American taxpayer 
     dollars, if Saddam Hussein had developed nuclear weapons, or 
     if Syria possessed them.
       Then remember that it was Israel that destroyed the almost-
     completed nuclear reactor at Osirak, Iraq, in 1981 and 
     Syria's nuclear facility under construction at Deir-ez-Zor in 
     2007.
       And think about the many operations that Israel's Defense 
     Forces and intelligence agents have undertaken to foil, slow 
     and disrupt Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapons 
     capability. A nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the lives of 
     hundreds of thousands of Americans in the region, all of 
     Iran's Arab neighbors, the world's largest oil supplies and 
     those who rely on that oil.


                  Access to lethal Iranian technology

       It also would provide anti-U.S. terrorists with access to 
     the most lethal Iranian technology and probably set off a 
     nuclear arms race in the region.
       For about 2 percent of what the United States spends in 
     Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan this year, Americans can take 
     pride in the return on our investment in aid to Israel.
       And with Israel's truly invaluable assistance to America's 
     vital national security, we can take comfort that--in actions 
     seen in Tehran and Damascus and noticed by al-Qaida and other 
     anti-U.S. terrorists everywhere--the United States is safer 
     and made more secure because of the mutually dependent and 
     beneficial relationship between us and Israel.

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