[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRATULATING ISRAEL ON OECD MEMBERSHIP

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                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 26, 2010

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in 
supporting H. Res. 1391, congratulating Israel for its accession to 
membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and 
Development, OECD. On May 10, 2010, Israel became the 32nd member of 
the OECD by unanimous vote of the other members. This is an 
extraordinary achievement for a small, beleaguered nation that came 
into existence little more than six decades ago.
  Sixty-two years ago, Israelis began the difficult process of creating 
a country from nothing. For more than a thousand years, the territory 
that is now Israel had been ruled by a series of far-off empires. It 
had no infrastructure, no history of self-rule, no major industrial 
base and very few large enterprises.
  After Israel's establishment in 1948, Israelis created their own 
institutions from scratch. Israel has grown from an impoverished 
backwater colony to an economic powerhouse in the region. And although 
it has fewer natural resources than most nations of the world, it has 
made the most of what is has, investing in knowledge, development, 
innovation and medicine. Today, Israel is a center of scientific, 
medical and technological innovation, a leader in agriculture, water 
purification, alternative energy and public health.
  Israel is a flourishing democracy, with a strong free press, a free 
and independent judiciary and a strong banking system that protects the 
safety and soundness of its financial institutions. The World Bank 
ranks Israel among the 30 countries in which it is easiest to do 
business. It is tied for fourth in ease of getting credit and tied for 
fifth in protecting investors. Similarly, the World Economic Forum 
rated Israel fifth of 133 nations on the Forum's legal rights index and 
15th in judicial independence and 15th in financial market 
sophistication.
  Israel's founders wanted to create an agricultural Garden of Eden--
and since much of its territory consists of desert, its farmers 
developed techniques for growing crops in arid ground, using very 
little water. These techniques are now being marketed and used in 
developing nations across the globe. As part of its acceptance into 
OECD, Israel has agreed to increase its aid to underdeveloped nations 
in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. As part of that promise, Israel 
will be sending hundreds of experts in agriculture, water, and 
irrigation to impoverished areas, as well as experts in alternative 
energy, public health, education, and internal security. By sharing its 
knowledge, Israel will be helping its neighbors and improving 
relationships with developing countries. Even before OECD acceptance, 
Israel astounded the world by arriving in Haiti with a high tech field 
hospital that was able to perform sophisticated procedures and save 
lives.
  With oil-producing nations hostile to it, and very little oil or gas 
of its own, Israel learned to become energy efficient, using solar 
power and other alternative fuels. With little land and few natural 
resources, Israel positioned itself at the cutting edge of 
technological innovation. Many of the technological innovations we take 
for granted, including instant messaging, security firewalls, 
artificial stents, wireless computer chips, were developed in Israel. 
In 2010, the World Economic Forum ranked Israel 27th out of 133 
countries in its Growth Competitiveness Index. Israel ranked third in 
quality of scientific research institutions, fourth in utility patents, 
seventh in life expectancy, ninth in innovation, 15th in availability 
of the latest technologies. Israel leads the world in the number of 
high-technology start-up companies, scientific publications, and 
research and development spending per capita.
  Acceptance in the OECD is a mark of member nations' respect for 
Israel's economic progress, and it will help Israel attract foreign 
investors and develop its markets. Membership will enhance Israel's 
status in the world and will enhance its participation in other 
international bodies. It is no secret that the Palestinian Authority 
tried hard to deny Israel membership in the OECD precisely because they 
were concerned that OECD membership would enhance Israel's reputation 
in the world and strengthen its ties with other nations around the 
globe.
  Mr. Speaker, Israel's accession to the OECD is a remarkable 
achievement. I am pleased to join my colleagues in saluting Israel's 
success and in expressing appreciation to the OECD members for their 
unanimous decision to accept Israel as a member. For all of the 
foregoing reasons, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1391.

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