[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H3437-H3440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING ISRAEL'S 66TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. DeSantis). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 3, 2013, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, tonight's Special Order is meant 
to honor Israel's 66th Independence Day. Last year, I also had the 
honor of leading a similar Special Order.
  Much is made about the contention in the United States Congress. 
Therefore, it pleases me to say that the security of Israel remains 
bipartisan in every aspect. I have a number of Members with us tonight 
who I will yield my time to to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
  First, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), my 
colleague, a distinguished member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and 
I thank the gentlelady for her passionate support of the State of 
Israel. It has been an honor to serve with you on the Foreign Affairs 
Committee and to be an active member of the Jewish Caucus here in the 
House.
  I rise today to celebrate 66 years of independence by the State of 
Israel and 66 years of lasting friendship between our two nations.
  On May 14, 1948, under the leadership of future Israeli Prime 
Minister David-Ben Gurion, Jewish leaders established the State of 
Israel. At that time, President Harry Truman recognized the new state 
and sent a strong message to countries throughout the Middle East and 
the world that Israel would not face its future challenges alone.
  Since that time, Israel has thrived and become a strong democracy. 
Today, our two nations remain closely aligned as a result of our shared 
values and common interests. During these 66 years Israel has overcome 
many difficult challenges and the continued existence of a Jewish state 
is a testament to the will and strength of the people of Israel.
  As we reflect on the achievements of this great country, we must also 
remember its modern beginnings. Israel was established as a safe haven 
for the Jewish people who survived centuries of persecution and 
oppression.
  Today, the people of Israel continue to face many threats to their 
way of life and to their country. There are those who believe violence 
is the solution to resolving their differences with the State of 
Israel.
  But to promote security throughout this region, what the Middle East 
really needs is stability and peace. I want to take a moment to commend 
our President, President Obama, and Secretary of State John Kerry for 
their commitment to securing a lasting peace and their work toward 
achieving that goal.
  On the 66th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, we strongly 
affirm our commitment to Israel as both a friend and ally, and double 
down on our efforts to bring peace to this region of the world. As 
President Truman so eloquently noted: Israel has ``a glorious future 
before it, not just as another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment 
of the great ideals of our civilization.''
  I know we have all had the opportunity to visit Israel and to see 
firsthand the success of this democracy and the prosperity of this 
country surviving and thriving in a very difficult neighborhood. It has 
been a great honor to be here in Congress and to continue to support 
the relationship between our two great countries, but to really honor 
the success of 66 years of independence of a country that shares our 
values, that continues to be an example to the world of a great 
democracy.
  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island for 
your articulate and passionate remarks.
  Now it gives me great pleasure to yield to the very distinguished 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), another colleague of mine 
on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership 
and

[[Page H3438]]

truly for this time where we have come together to not only celebrate 
the 66th anniversary of Israel, but a time of remembrance.
  As important as a celebration may be each and every year, we must 
reflect back on what brought this Nation to be. It was really rooted 
many years prior to its birth in unbelievable tragedy, grief, 
oppression, when almost 7 million Jews--moms, dads, sons and daughters, 
husbands and wives--were killed and terminated in a way that many of us 
can only try to grasp why that could have possibly happened in this 
world.
  Yet today, we see that the antisemitic rhetoric throughout much of 
Europe has grown to levels that we have not seen since those days of 
Hitler. So we must take this day and every day to make sure that we 
voice not only our support for Israel, but our support for a Jewish 
nation in which America enjoys a great partnership and friendship, but 
truly an unyielding resolve of brotherly affection.
  So today, I thank the gentlewoman for her time and allowing me to 
speak on this particular issue. But it is important that we remember 
that even though there was years ago a great tragedy, that today if we 
do not speak up that things can continue to happen and be a downward 
spiral, for right at this moment as we speak there are some 100,000 
missiles aimed at Israel.
  We can live in relative peace and comfort here in America, yet in 
cities and neighborhoods all across Israel they have to live in fear of 
a siren going off and a missile perhaps coming in. Yet, it is this 
partnership and friendship that we have with Israel that must remain 
solid and be strong.
  We have a country that is some 10,000 square miles in Israel, 
surrounded by 5.2 million square miles of oil-rich country. Yet Israel 
has no iron, no gold, no silver, no lead, no oil to speak of, and yet 
over and over again she is attacked. And so you have to ask yourself, 
why? Why is it that so many people call Israel the aggressor when the 
missiles are aimed towards her?
  I stand today to not only thank the gentlewoman for her time, but 
also to acknowledge the greatness of Israel, our friendship that is 
unyielding, and to say Happy 66th Independence Day.
  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Thank you, Mr. Meadows, for your very moving 
comments. I appreciate you being here with us tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield to the gentleman from 
California, Mr. Alan Lowenthal, another one of my distinguished 
colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee and a fellow first-term 
Member whom I had the honor of traveling to Israel with our freshman 
class.
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Florida for inviting me. I too was moved by the speech and the talking 
from my dear friend and colleague from North Carolina.
  As we know, 66 years ago, with the darkness of the Holocaust still 
fresh in all of our minds, the State of Israel was born as a shining 
beacon of freedom and democracy.
  I was born just as the Second World War was beginning. I remember 
when the State of Israel was founded. My family, my mother, was an 
immigrant; my father was the first of his family to be born in the 
United States from immigrant parents. Now I am so proud to be here as a 
Member of the House of Representatives and to recognize also that my 
country was the first nation to recognize Israel.
  Since 1948, and as I can say, there was such great pride I took when 
Israel fought its war of independence, when Israel became a state, and 
Israel has persevered against great threats both large and small while 
at the same time building a dynamic, thriving, and innovative economy.
  Today, we are so proud of our unbreakable bonds with Israel, built 
upon our common foundation of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the 
rule of law. Israel is without question the United States' closest ally 
in the Middle East and most likely our closest ally throughout the 
world. The people of Israel continue to be a symbol of democratic 
courage in the Middle East and throughout the world.
  As I remember and we recall the independence and the founding of the 
State of Israel 66 years ago, I am reminded of the words of President 
John F. Kennedy, who said:

       Israel was not created in order to disappear. Israel will 
     endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and home of the 
     brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized 
     by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors 
     the sword of freedom.

  Happy Independence Day--Yom Ha'atzmaut Sameach.
  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Thank you, Mr. Lowenthal, for your very 
heartfelt comments.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Israel commemorated Memorial Day to honor the 
memory of more than 24,000 Israeli men, women, and children who have 
been killed in terror attacks and wars over the past 66 years.
  Immediately following Memorial Day Israel transitioned to 
Independence Day, when Israelis and Jews across the globe celebrate the 
modern-day revival of the State of Israel. This abrupt transition from 
the solemn Memorial Day to the celebration of Independence Day embodies 
the Israel and Jewish narrative of resilience in the face of adversity. 
We recognize our suffering while we appreciate our survival.
  Mr. Speaker, as commented by my colleagues who preceded me, the 
importance of Israel as our best ally in a very unstable region is so 
significant in this United States Congress that each year the first-
term Members take a tour of Israel. We visit leaders and members of 
civil society. I was honored to be on that trip this summer.
  When we visited Israel, we saw a nation at the forefront of 
innovation, science, and technology, a country where booming modernity 
sits side by side in stark contrast with ancient history.

                              {time}  1945

  Sixty-six years ago, Israel began as a modest nation of 800,000 
people, fighting for its very survival. Today, Israel's population 
stands at well over 8 million. It is a thriving, liberal democracy, the 
homeland for the Jewish people, a global economic and high-tech 
powerhouse, and it maintains the region's most powerful military force; 
yet, as my colleagues mentioned, Israel still faces threats.
  For anyone who has ever been to the small Middle Eastern country, you 
are immediately struck by the proximity of unfriendly or unstable 
neighbors; the border with Syria, where war has ravaged the country for 
years, threatening to destabilize the surrounding region; the border 
with Egypt, where the largest Arab nation faces great uncertainty; then 
the border with Gaza from an Israeli kibbutz that suffered thousands of 
rocket attacks. We witnessed, ourselves, how the good people live in 
fear each day.
  Of course, there is the perpetual threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. For 
Israel, an Iran armed with nuclear weapons represents an unimaginable 
threat. Without even firing a single weapon, Iran would be able to 
extend its nuclear umbrella to its terrorist proxies across the globe, 
including to Hamas and Hezbollah, sitting on Israel's doorstep.
  Even more terrifying, we would see a proliferation of nuclear 
arsenals throughout the region; yet, even in the face of these threats, 
Israelis remain optimistic for their future and proud of their national 
identity. So, tonight, I want to say that we are proud as Israeli 
allies, and we join them in celebrating their 66th year of 
independence.
  Mr. Speaker, I do want to share the story of one of my constituents. 
His name is Aron Bell. He is 85 years old, and he is a proud Jewish 
American resident of Palm Beach County. Today, he is celebrating 
Israeli Independence Day, but this is more than just a celebration for 
him; it is a memory.
  Aron Bell was born Aron Bielski. For those of you who may have seen 
Daniel Craig's blockbuster movie ``Defiance,'' you are familiar with 
the Bielski brothers--the Jewish partisans who saved over 1,000 Jews 
from death camps by building a village of defiance in the forest of 
Nazi-occupied Poland. Aron was the youngest of these brothers depicted 
in the film.
  After his traumatic survival during World War II, Aron emigrated to 
the British Mandate for Palestine, having witnessed the horrors of the 
Holocaust and having understood the increased urgency for Jewish self-
determination.

[[Page H3439]]

  In 1948, when Israel declared its independence and was immediately 
attacked by five surrounding Arab nations, Aron fought in order to 
protect the Israelis' dream of independence.
  Aron's journey, though remarkable, is not unique. The story of the 
Jewish people is riddled with triumph and tragedy. Israel's national 
anthem, called Hatikvah--meaning ``the hope''--sings of the 2,000-year-
old dream to be free in a land of our own. After centuries of pogroms, 
inquisitions, and genocide, the dream has been realized in the 
establishment of the State of Israel.
  I know I speak for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle tonight 
when I say we celebrate the independence--the birth--of the great State 
of Israel; and we are here to protect and secure Israel for eternity.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the State of Israel's 
Sixty-Sixth year of independence.
  As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, I understand the importance 
of a Jewish state as both a democratic society and a refuge of culture 
and heritage. I am proud to celebrate its continued success.
  The spirit of Israel is as strong today as it was in 1948 when Great 
Britain's mandate expired and a new nation was born. Its people 
continue to seek academic advancement, participate in international 
commerce, and support the arts. All this, while managing threats to its 
security.
  My respect for this nation and its people is great. Having traveled 
to Israel I observed the reality of bomb children's recreation center. 
As a father I cannot grasp the chilling fear of wondering if it's okay 
for my kids to play today or if they need to go to the reinforced 
recreation center. The fear of becoming yet another victim to terrorism 
while riding a bus or eating in a cafe could be enough to bring 
stagnation to a bustling economy. However, not in Israel. Its people 
rally in the name of freedom and out of the hope for a lasting peace. 
Their economy--and their nation are strong.
  Sixty-six years following its declaration of independence, Israel has 
grown into a strategic ally of the United States. Our nation's 
commitment to its economy, defense, and people are critically 
important.
  I look forward to continuing to support Israel and am again happy to 
join my colleagues in celebrating its independence.
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
support and recognition of the sixty-sixth anniversary of Israel's 
independence and to honor a country that has made huge strides since 
its independence in 1948. As the only true democracy in the Middle 
East, America and Israel share so much. We both celebrate democracy and 
freedom. We feel an obligation to make the world a better place for all 
people.
  The United States has considered the existence of Israel a profound 
moral and spiritual imperative and was the first Nation to recognize 
the State of Israel. Israel's security is of paramount importance, and 
our support for that security is unbreakable. We should take this 
occasion to reinforce our bond and renew our commitment to end tyranny 
and protect democracy.
  On the anniversary of its independence, the United States commends 
the nation of Israel as it pursues peace and security for its people.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and thank Congresswoman Lois 
Frankel for organizing this special order to recognize the significance 
of Israel's Independence at the kind invitation of Linda Kline.
  I was pleased to join Rabbi Jean Eglinton of B'Nai Sholom 
Congregation; Senior Pastor Chuck Lawrence of Christ Temple Church; 
Martin Greenberg, executive director for the Network of Independent 
Communities for the Jewish Federations of North America; Rabbi Victor 
Urecki of B'Nai Jacob Congregation; and, City of Huntington, West 
Virginia, Mayor Steve Williams for the 4th Annual West Virginia Israel 
Independence Celebration at Pullman Square, Huntington, West Virginia 
on Sunday, May 4, 2014. I was pleased to deliver the following remarks:
  In a State where the official motto is, ``Mountaineers are always 
free,'' we cherish independence as much as anyone. And while we are the 
first to lend a hand to a neighbor in need, we admire independence in 
others. All that West Virginia independence, some would suggest, is 
rooted in the rugged living our mountains impose upon us. But I think 
it might just run a little deeper than that.
  We all know the story of America's Independence Day, July 4th 1776. 
But on that same day, the Continental Congress passed a lesser known 
resolution appointing to another committee three of the men who had 
just helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. Their task was to 
design a seal for the newly formed United States of America. Two of 
those men, Dr. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, spent 
considerable time over the next five weeks working on designs that 
included the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
  Franklin's design incorporated Moses standing on the shore, extending 
his hand over the sea, beckoning Pharaoh's demise. Jefferson's depicted 
the Israelis in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of 
fire by night.
  From our earliest beginnings, our roots have run deep with Israel and 
the Jewish people. And that includes our country's Judeo-Christian 
heritage that is so deeply engrained in us. It shines especially bright 
in America's spirited independence.
  So, we quite naturally welcome the opportunity to join in celebrating 
Israel's Independence Day.
  But there is more to celebrate today than history and heritage. In 
today's world, practical realities have to take first order. The simple 
fact is that Israel is America's strongest, most dependable ally in the 
Middle East. And as I have said, time and again, a stable Middle East 
is in the long-term best interests of the United States.
  Israel's security is paramount to that regional stability. Syria's 
domestic chaos and tragic loss of innocent lives; the uncertainty of a 
volatile nuclear threat from nearby Iran; the continual threat of 
terrorist organizations infiltrating and working their will in country 
after country; all these call for our constant vigilance as a strong 
partner in Israel's security needs.
  That's why I have cosponsored and strongly supported heavy sanctions 
against Iran and its nuclear weapons advancement. That's why I have 
supported defensive tools for Israel like the Iron Dome program. And 
that's why I have co-sponsored and strongly supported the United 
States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act to foster the close alliance we 
have enjoyed with Israel over the decades.
  Today's anniversary of Israel's independence is a good time to review 
and re-assess our partnership. Clearly, Israel has earned its seat at 
the table with the independent nations of the world. And she has done 
so as a strong U.S. ally. It is incumbent upon our leaders to return 
that respect and confidence.
  As a world leader, we have a tremendous responsibility to actively 
help bring long-term peace to the Middle East. That must always include 
a free and independent state of Israel. America's interaction in the 
region must reflect the maturity of our place among other Nation states 
as a seasoned and substantial diplomatic leader.
  My bottom line to any administration and to my colleagues in the 
Congress is that the U.S. must be a positive presence in the Middle 
East. This is in our and Israel's best interests. That requires the 
utmost care in both the words we use and the deeds we employ to 
maintain that positive presence.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Jewish 
state of Israel on the 66th anniversary of its declaration of 
independence, Yom Ha'atzmaut. For 66 years, Israel has not only defied 
all odds to survive in the face of existential threats, but it has 
transformed from a country of agricultural pioneers into the high-tech 
powerhouse that it is today.
  For 66 years, the United States has had a special friend and 
steadfast ally in Israel, dating back to when President Harry Truman 
first recognized the State of Israel just 11 minutes after it had 
declared independence. Since that time, Israel has become an 
indispensable for security cooperation and scientific and technological 
research.
  Israel is a beacon of democracy and freedom in a region where both 
are far too scarce. Israeli citizens of all stripes, including its many 
minorities, enjoy extensive personal freedoms and thrive in every 
aspect of society, from the military to the Knesset.
  In these uncertain times in the Middle East and North Africa, Israel 
seems surrounded by chaos. On its southern border, Israel must rely on 
Egypt, a country grappling with a rocky transition to democracy, to 
intercept the weapons smuggling into the Hamas-run extremist hub of the 
Gaza Strip. To the North, in Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to amass its 
arsenal of long-range missiles capable of hitting all major cities in 
Israel and promises future war. In Syria, the ongoing civil war remains 
a source of instability and uncertainty for the entire region, 
empowering terrorist groups on both sides of the conflict. The 
Palestinian Authority's decision to reconcile with Hamas, a faction 
that continues to call for Israel's destruction, has undermined any 
progress made during recent U.S.-led peace negotiations. And despite 
the interim agreement with world powers, Iran's illicit nuclear program 
will remain an existential threat to Israel until the day a final, 
verifiable agreement is reached that removes the possibility of a 
nuclear Iran.
  After years of terrorist attacks, war, and regional instability 
knocking on its doorsteps, Israel continues to persevere with 
remarkable poise. Israel has become a leader in technology and science, 
and its society prospers.

[[Page H3440]]

There is much to be proud of on this Yom Haatzmaut.
  As Israel prepares to make difficult decisions about peace and 
security, it should know that the United States' commitment to the 
Jewish state is unshakeable.
  I join my colleagues in wishing the people and government of Israel a 
Chag Sameach, a happy holiday on this 66th Independence Day.

                          ____________________