[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 27, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              LIEL MAGHEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 2010

  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend Liel Maghen, one of my 
2010 summer interns in the New Story Leadership Program. The New Story 
Leadership Program, hosts interns from Israel and Palestine, to 
Washington, DC every year. As a requirement of the program a 
Congressional Forum is held, and in my attendance on July 20, 2010 Liel 
Maghen gave a remarkable speech. His story is very inspirational and it 
gives a clear perspective of his culture and obstacles he overcame. At 
this time, I present to you his speech:

       ``I am Liel Maghen and I am your Master of Ceremony for 
     this morning's event.
       The Middle East story receives high media coverage and 
     public attention. It is a story of a conflict between two 
     people over the same land and it is a story of terror, 
     occupation, and suffering.
       The dimensions of this story combine religion, economy, 
     cultural differences and racism in a complex history of 
     hatred, and present reality of mistrust, that seems far from 
     being solved. However, the small particles of this conflict 
     are the personal stories of people that live in that region.
       And like looking at atoms of a human body, these stories 
     reveal different perceptions and demonstrate how these 
     separate particles are connected together in one body that is 
     called the Middle East.
       My story starts with my heritage. But before I will begin, 
     let me note that today is ``Tisha Beav''. It is a day of 
     grief for the Jewish people that commemorate the destruction 
     of both great temples in Jerusalem.
       According to the religious scriptures, which refer to these 
     temples as Houses, these temples were destroyed as god's 
     punishment for corruption, moral degradation, and false 
     hatred.
       I believe that we, the Jewish people who are gathered here 
     today, came here in order to prevent the collapse of our 
     third House the Israeli state.
       I was born in the state of Israel to an Italian mother and 
     Libyan father, who decided, as true Zionists, to leave their 
     families and home in order to move to the Jewish state. My 
     mother is a daughter of two Holocaust survivors and my father 
     himself suffered persecution in his Arab homeland throughout 
     his childhood. Therefore, my education, which was traditional 
     Jewish, emphasized the importance of a Jewish state and the 
     need of the Jewish people to defend themselves in order to 
     prevent a second Holocaust. My education was also affected by 
     the political activism of my parents, who were members of the 
     Halikud right wing party.
       When I grew up, especially in the time of the second 
     Intifada, I adopted my parents' perspective as my own and 
     believed that the Jewish people are in danger, and that there 
     is no chance for peace. Thus, I was eager to serve my country 
     in a combat unit and to be a representative of my people and 
     history through my army service. This concept of service has 
     a major role in Israeli society and education. And 
     eventually, this service would be the reason for a big change 
     in my perception, a change that occurred because of a friend.
       This friend was Johan Zarbib.
       I met him in the first week of basic training. We were 
     together in the same unit and partners in the same squad. He, 
     as a foreigner who was born in France, decided to immigrate 
     to Israel for the same reasons as my parents. He told me, 
     that after suffering modern anti Semitism in his homeland, he 
     understood the importance of the Jewish country and wanted to 
     join the army and contribute his share for the sake of the 
     Jewish people.
       I, on the other hand, made a personal and difficult 
     decision to change units. I decided to complete my military 
     service by transferring to an education unit, where I could 
     contribute in a different way.
       In the last day of the war of Lebanon, in 2006, after the 
     cease-fire was signed but before it was fully implemented, I 
     was shocked to hear that Johan was killed.
       The day after, in his funeral, I saw that many other 
     friends from our unit were injured in the same battle.
       Looking at them and thinking about Johan, made me re 
     examine these values of contribution and service. I have 
     asked myself if serving in the army is the only way to 
     contribute to my society or maybe was there another option.
       My conclusion was that it is our responsibility, as people 
     who suffer from the war, to make an effort for achieving 
     peace. Or as Mahatma Gandhi has said: ``you must be the 
     change that you wish to see in the world''.
       Since then, I have participated in different co-existence 
     programs. Although these experiences are difficult and 
     confront sensitive issues, I have come to understand through 
     them, that both sides suffer from this conflict and that only 
     personal connection between people can create a bridge beyond 
     the walls of separation and fear. I have also come to 
     understand that maybe we don't agree on the details of the 
     solution, but we can agree on the process of finding one, 
     process that requires communication, compromise, and 
     reconciliation.
       And Finally, Here in Washington, I have had a great 
     opportunity to take this understanding one step further. 
     Thank to Congressman Payne and his inspirational staff I have 
     learned about the political process and how it can make a 
     major impact in people's life. Furthermore, being a part of a 
     group of Israeli and Palestinian activists through the New 
     Story Leadership Program teaches me that many people from 
     both sides are basically on the same side, the side that 
     wants peace.
       This future is reachable, and we should join together, 
     Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans, in order to make this 
     future closer to the present.''
       Thank you very much,
       Shalom, Peace and Salam Aleikum

  Madam Speaker, I call upon my colleagues in joining me congratulating 
Liel Maghen and wishing him all the best. He is truly an inspiration to 
all that know him.

                          ____________________