[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           43RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE REUNIFICATION OF JERUSALEM

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                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 2010

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise now to commemorate a 
significant event: the 43rd anniversary of the reunification of 
Jerusalem, which is being celebrated today. I am proud to be a 
cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 271, which recognizes this important day.
  Jerusalem is one of the most historic cities in the world; it has 
been destroyed, besieged, attacked, captured, and recaptured multiple 
times. Yet in 1948, for the first time, the city was divided into two 
parts. For the following 19 years, access to holy sites was denied by 
Jordan. Even worse, synagogues were destroyed and ancient tombstones 
desecrated. Residents of Jerusalem could not even see the Western Wall, 
let alone pray there.
  At last, in 1967, Jerusalem was reunited during the Six Day War. In 
celebration, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan gave this oft-repeated 
statement:
  ``This morning, the Israel Defense Forces . . . have united 
Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the 
holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab 
neighbors we extend, also at this hour--and with added emphasis at this 
hour--our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow 
citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did 
not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and 
not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to 
safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in 
unity.''
  Truly, today is not cause for celebration by Jews only. Christians 
and Muslims also consider Jerusalem a holy city. Furthermore, visitors 
of many other faiths travel to the Old City to pray or simply 
appreciate the historic sites, which are not only accessible today, but 
also properly maintained.
  Sadly, some people still do not consider Jerusalem to be Israel's 
capital. And despite the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995, 
we have not yet moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to 
Jerusalem. It is preposterous that Israel, our democratic friend and 
strategic ally, is the only country in which the U.S. embassy is not 
located in the functioning capital. I strongly encourage President 
Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to begin the process of relocating 
the U.S. Embassy in Israel.
  As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recently stated: ``The 
connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel cannot be 
denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot 
be denied . . . Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital.''
  In closing, I want to reflect on the name, ``Jerusalem.'' It is my 
understanding that the name of this city is built from a Hebrew root 
word meaning ``completeness'' or ``wholeness.'' How appropriate that 
for the past 43 years Jerusalem has been able to live up to its name. 
As Psalm 122:3 states: ``Jerusalem is built as a city that is united 
together.''

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