[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 26, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3834-H3837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING ISRAEL ON OECD MEMBERSHIP
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1391) congratulating Israel for its accession
to membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1391
Whereas Israel first sent an observer delegation to the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
in 1994, and first began actively seeking to join the OECD in
2000, when it met the OECD's membership requirements relating
to industrial and per-capita product criteria;
Whereas in May 2006, the OECD adopted in full the Report by
the Working Party on the Implications of Future Enlargement
on OECD Governance, stating that expanding membership is
vital to the organization;
Whereas Israel has been the most active nonmember country
in the OECD, is a member, observer, or ad hoc observer in
dozens of working bodies, is party to various OECD
declarations, and is already in compliance with multiple OECD
standards;
Whereas Israel's tax burden, encompassing income and
property taxes, customs duties, value-added taxes, and
national insurance, is much lower than in most OECD member
states;
Whereas the World Bank ranks Israel among the 30 countries
in which it is easiest to do business, and ranks Israel as
tied for fourth in ease of getting credit and tied for fifth
in protection of investors;
Whereas in 2010, the World Economic Forum ranked Israel
27th out of 133 countries in its Growth Competitiveness
Index, and in particular ranked Israel third in quality of
scientific research institutions, fourth in utility patents,
fifth in strength of investor protection, fifth in the
Forum's legal rights index, seventh in life expectancy, ninth
in innovation, 15th in financial market sophistication, 15th
in availability of the latest technologies, and 15th in
judicial independence;
Whereas the World Economic Forum ranked Israel 28th out of
133 countries in its 2009-2010 Networked Readiness Index and
29th out of 121 in its 2009 Enabling Trade Index;
Whereas Israel has carried out far-reaching economic
reforms in recent years with respect to taxes, labor,
competition, capital markets, pension funds, energy,
infrastructures, communications, transport, housing, and
other fields, growing its private sector and streamlining its
public sector;
Whereas Israel is a world leader in science and technology
and is home to the most high-technology start-up companies,
scientific publications, and research and development
spending per capita;
Whereas membership in the OECD will likely strengthen the
position of Israel in the global economy and within
international financial institutions, solidify Israel's
transition from an emerging market to an advanced economy,
and encourage increased foreign direct investment in Israel;
Whereas Israel's accession to membership in the OECD will
strengthen the OECD because of Israel's high living
standards, free and stable markets, and commitment to
democracy, human rights, and freedom;
Whereas Israel's economic and technological standing will
likely benefit OECD member states in innovation, in research
and development, and in the science and technology, including
high-technology, sectors;
Whereas Israel is a strong ally and friend of the United
States and supports the United
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States in international organizations more consistently than
any other country;
Whereas, on November 8, 2005, the House of Representatives
unanimously adopted H. Res. 38, and on May 3, 2007, the
Senate by unanimous consent adopted S. Res. 188, in support
of Israel's accession to membership in the OECD;
Whereas in May 2007, during the annual meeting of the
OECD's ministerial council, OECD member states invited Israel
to open talks for accession to membership in that
organization;
Whereas the Secretary-General of the OECD, Angel Gurria,
has supported Israel's candidacy for accession to OECD
membership and worked to ensure that Israel's candidacy was
not politicized, and was judged by objective economic and
democratic standards;
Whereas the United States has supported Israel's candidacy
for accession to OECD membership;
Whereas, on May 10, 2010, the 31 OECD member states
unanimously agreed to invite Israel to become a member of
that organization, with the OECD noting in a statement that
``Israel's scientific and technological policies have
produced outstanding outcomes on a world scale.'';
Whereas, on May 10, 2010, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu noted regarding Israel's accession to OECD
membership that ``Israel's accession to the OECD has
strategic importance for the process of positioning Israel's
economy as a developed and advanced economy, as well as in
attracting international investments . . . There is still
work to be done. We have done a great deal. We are doing a
great deal; and we will do a great deal . . . so that we can
be on the list of leading countries, among the 15 most
advanced countries in the world. This goal is possible and it
won't take us too many years to accomplish.'';
Whereas Israel will be welcomed into the OECD during the
annual meeting of that organization's ministerial council on
May 27, 2010, and will fully accede to membership once it
passes the requisite enacting legislation, a process that is
likely to be completed within months; and
Whereas Israel continues to pursue further opportunities to
accede to membership or enhance its participation, as the
case may be, in international forums: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) congratulates Israel for its accession to membership in
the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD);
(2) commends the 31 nations of the OECD, as well as OECD
Secretary-General Angel Gurria, for recognizing Israel's
economic success as well as its commitment to the principles
of democratic government and market economy by unanimously
electing Israel to OECD membership;
(3) recognizes the importance of the strong role played by
the United States in Israel's successful bid for accession to
membership in the OECD; and
(4) calls on responsible nations to support efforts by
Israel to accede to membership or enhance its participation,
as the case may be, in international forums.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Berkley) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Nevada.
General Leave
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
Ms. BERKLEY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Israel's
accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,
a prestigious group of the world's most advanced economies, is a
monumental achievement and is testimony to Israel's remarkable economic
success and diplomatic acumen.
The unanimous decision by the 31 member states of the OECD to accept
Israel is a recognition of Israel's economic strength as well as of its
democracy and of its ability to contribute to the organization and to
the world's economy.
Israel was one of the few economies in the world to have positive
economic growth in the midst of last year's global economic crisis, and
it is expected to grow at least 3.5 percent in 2010. As a member of the
OECD, Israel will be in an even better position to advance key economic
sectors of its economy, including technology, medicine and agriculture.
This will prove beneficial, not only to the State of Israel but, as the
record of Israeli entrepreneurial creativity attests, to the entire
world.
Mr. Speaker, Israel's accession to the OECD is an important
achievement for the State of Israel, and it also demonstrates the
importance of U.S. engagement in multilateral organizations. Without
the emphatic support of the Obama administration's delegation to the
OECD, Israel almost certainly would still be waiting at the
organization's door, knocking to come in.
I would like to congratulate and thank our OECD mission in Paris for
their hard work. This strong team of diplomats worked tirelessly to
support Israel's OECD candidacy, and it dutifully ensured that Israel's
candidacy was not politicized and that it was judged by objective
economic and democratic standards.
Mr. Speaker, the lesson from this victory is clear: U.S. engagement
works. Without a strong presence at this international organization, we
risk leaving our ally Israel to battle alone against its many biased
critics. It is important to remember that maintaining a strong U.S.
voice in international organizations isn't important just for America's
interest but for Israel's interest as well.
I want to thank the Obama administration for their strong support for
Israel at the OECD, and I look forward to working with them to ensure
that there is the same support going forward at the OECD, at the U.N.,
and at other multilateral organizations.
The unanimous vote by OECD members to admit Israel not only
highlights Israel's growing global economic importance, which it
certainly does and is, but it also represents an important sign that
the U.S., when properly engaged, can help to defeat the unrelenting
efforts of Israel's detractors and, may I say, haters.
I would like to thank my dear friend, Ranking Member Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen, for introducing this important resolution and for making
Israel's accession to the OECD possible.
I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank my good friend, the lovely lady from Nevada (Ms. Berkley),
for those kinds words.
Mr. Speaker, we have got a good, strong partnership when it comes to
promoting the ideals of freedom, democracy and the rule of law; and in
that category, Israel will always stand out.
I am proud, obviously, to support this resolution, which I authored
and sponsored, House Resolution 1391, which congratulates Israel on
being approved for membership in the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. The OECD brings together governments
committed to democracy and a market economy in advancing freedom and in
advancing prosperity. The recent unanimous support of OECD member
states for Israel's membership is a well-deserved seal of approval for
Israel, one that can reinforce its progress and that will benefit both
Israel and the members of the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, the history of Israel's pursuit of membership in the
OECD speaks volumes about the nature of Israel, also, lamentably, of
the Palestinian leadership and of the U.S. engagement in international
organizations. Israel, the free, democratic country that it is, pursued
OECD membership, not with a sense of entitlement but with patience and
eagerness to demonstrate its eligibility and its competence in
improving herself in the process.
Israel first sent an observer delegation to the OECD in 1994. In the
16 years since that time, Israel has carried out far-reaching economic
reforms with respect to taxes, labor, competition, capital markets,
pension funds, energy, communications, transport, and housing. Mr.
Speaker, the list goes on and on.
{time} 1100
It has grown its now-booming private sector and streamlined its
overgrown public sector. Its tax burden is much lower than that of most
OECD member states.
Israel is now a world leader in science, technology, and
entrepreneurship, home to the most high technology startup companies,
scientific publications, and research and development spending per
capita. And it has
[[Page H3836]]
been the most active nonmember country in the OECD, becoming a member
or an observer in dozens of working bodies, a party to numerous OECD
declarations, and coming into compliance with multiple OECD standards.
Israel also continues to uphold the democratic values of its founding
with a vibrant political system, a robust and autonomous judiciary, and
a commitment to human rights. In short, Israel's democracy, its
prosperity, and its freedom are a model for many nations and many
people. Israel has clearly made its case for OECD membership.
The Palestinian leadership, in contrast, has spent the last 16 years
demonstrating time after time that it never misses an opportunity to
miss an opportunity. It has rejected every offer of peace from Israel.
It has refused to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
It has failed to crack down on violent extremism and anti-Israel
incitement. Indeed, it has even tolerated and encouraged such behavior.
It has supported boycotts of Israeli goods, and the Palestinian
Authority's prime minister, whom some consider a moderate, even
participated in a mass burning of such goods. And it has consistently
tried to use international organizations, from the U.N. General
Assembly to the Human Rights Council, with its infamous Goldstone
Report, to the International Criminal Court, to demonize and
delegitimize Israel.
The Palestinian Authority tried hard to block Israel's candidacy for
membership in the OECD, with the same Palestinian Authority prime
minister personally lobbying foreign governments to oppose Israel's
membership.
Is this a partner for peace, Mr. Speaker?
But it gets worse. A former Palestinian Authority foreign minister
and senior associate of Abu Mazen announced just last week that the
Palestinian Authority was intensifying its diplomatic and economic
offensive against Israel. He said the Palestinian Authority needed ``to
increase our efforts in the international arena to isolate and punish
Israel, prevent it from deepening its relations with the European
Union, and attempt to expel it from the United Nations.'' He continues,
``We must pursue Israel in all international bodies and institutions.''
And Palestinian leaders keep threatening violence to extract
concessions.
Instead of focusing on building a better future for its people, the
Palestinian leaders are focusing on tearing down that future for Israel
and her citizens. This Congress should not reward such behavior by
providing yet another $400 million bailout to the West Bank and Gaza,
including another $150 million in cash directly to the Palestinian
Authority.
Finally, Israel's candidacy for OECD membership teaches us a lesson
about when and how the U.S. should participate in international forums,
and when and how it should not. The OECD is what the U.N. was intended
to be, a group of free, Democratic countries cooperating to advance
their values and shared interests. It has rigorous membership standards
and new members must be approved by all existing members.
Its Secretary General has demonstrated commitment to ensuring that
Israel's candidacy and other issues are determined on the merits and
are not politicized. That is why the U.S. should and does participate
in the OECD, including by actively supporting Israel's candidacy for
membership.
In contrast, the UN's misnamed ``Human Rights Council'' has no
meaningful standards for membership, other than the ability to gain the
support of a mere majority of the U.N. General Assembly, which itself
includes scores of countries that are not free democracies.
In the most recent so-called ``elections,'' using the term loosely,
to the Human Rights Council earlier this month, every single candidate,
no matter how oppressive the government, ran unopposed on previously
agreed upon regional slates. That is not democracy. It's what happens
in the Castro brothers' Cuba. So it is no surprise that the Cuban
regime is a longstanding member of the rogue's gallery that is the
Human Rights Council, as are China, Saudi Arabia, and now Qaddafi's
Libyan regime.
None of these countries ever are condemned by the Human Rights
Council for their rampant human rights violations, nor is Iran, nor is
Syria. But the Council has devoted 80 percent of its resolutions and
about half of its special sessions to bashing the democratic Jewish
State of Israel, and it has passed numerous other anti-freedom
measures.
The administration's decision to join the Council, and the last year
of the U.S. membership on that Council, have not changed these grim
facts, lamentably. When the deck is stacked, when the fix is in against
freedom and against democracy, the answer should be not to participate
and instead vote ``no.'' The answer is for the U.S. and other
responsible nations to walk out and demand better.
Today, however, in this legitimate and distinguished House, I will
proudly vote yes on this resolution. I encourage all of my colleagues
to do the same.
I thank my good friend and colleague from New York, Mr. Crowley, for
cosponsoring this resolution with me; I thank our wonderful chairman,
Chairman Berman, for agreeing to move it so promptly for floor
consideration; and I again thank my good friend from Nevada, Ms.
Berkley, for also standing on the side of Israel, always standing on
the side of freedom and democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is plain to see from the words of my esteemed
colleague, it is plain to see Israel's extraordinary impact on the
global economy. Its accession to the OECD will have a positive impact
on our global economy at a time when our economy is suffering
worldwide.
It would be my hope that the Palestinians, rather than to continue to
refuse to make peace with Israel, to continue its terrorist attacks on
innocent Israelis, its continuance to refuse face-to-face negotiations
with the Israelis for peace, to actively incite anti-Semitism and
hatred towards Israel, and to continue its attempts to delegitimize
Israel's very right to exist, that perhaps instead it would be more
worthwhile for the Palestinian people if its leaders would work with
Israel to improve its own economic situation, to raise the Palestinian
people from the misery, poverty, and squalor in which they live, and in
which they continue to live, not because of the Israelis' success, but
because of the lack of movement on the part of the Palestinian
leadership that continues to use and abuse their own people and attempt
to delegitimize Israel's very right to exist.
Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1391,
congratulating Israel for its accession to membership in the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
On May 10, 2010, 31 OECD member states unanimously agreed to invite
Israel to become a member of that organization. The OECD noted in a
statement that ``Israel's scientific and technological policies have
produced outstanding outcomes on a world scale.'' Israel's finance
minister, Yuval Steinitz, described Israel joining the OECD as ``a
badge of honor'' for Israel, which was one of the few economies to show
growth in 2009 during the world economic crisis.
It is critical to recognize the importance of Israel's involvement
now and in the future in international organizations. I stand with my
colleagues in commending President Obama and the administration for the
integral role it played in Israel's successful bid for accession to
membership in the OECD. This only furthers to strengthen the bonds
between the United States and Israel.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1391, a
resolution congratulating and commending Israel for its accession to
membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, OECD.
On May 10th, it was announced that OECD member states had unanimously
voted to extend membership to Israel. This landmark vote recognizes
Israel's economic strength, and it is a clear victory over efforts to
marginalize and delegitimize the country. Israel's accession to the
OECD will speed its economic integration into the global community and
provide increased opportunities for foreign investment.
Despite living under the constant threat of terror and war, Israel
has developed one of the world's most robust economies. Last year,
Israel boasted one of few economies in the world to show growth during
the economic crisis. OECD has predicted a 3.5 percent increase in
Israel's economy in 2010.
[[Page H3837]]
I visited Israel in early April and saw a modern, vibrant economy
driven by scientific and technological advancement. While international
attention remains fixed on the politics of the region, the OECD vote is
a critical recognition of Israel's robust economy and ongoing
innovation.
Last week, I joined over 30 of my colleagues in signing a letter to
President Obama, thanking him for his administration's strong support
of Israel's bid, as well as a letter to OECD Secretary-General Angel
Guria expressing appreciation for the OECD vote.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Israel's accession to the OECD, and I
encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1391, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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