[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10199]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   ISRAEL GRANTED MEMBERSHIP IN WEOG

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H.R. 3405, the 
Equality for Israel at the United Nations Act that pushed for equality 
at the U.N. for our closest ally, I am pleased that because of U.S. 
pressure, Israel has finally achieved a long-deserved, although 
partial, victory.
  Israel for years has been refused entry into one of the 5 regional 
groupings and thus has been denied full membership at the U.N., 
although it has been a member since 1949. This has undermined and 
weakened Israel's ability to function effectively within the 
international community.
  Israel has now finally been granted membership in the Western 
European and Other Group, WEOG; however, with conditions.

                              {time}  0915

  Many of us will continue to push for Israel's full membership in the 
WEOG, as well as its membership in its rightful regional grouping, 
which is the Asian group. Israel has earned it. Few other countries 
have been tested in this manner and have given so much to protect the 
very principles upon which the United Nations was founded.

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