[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 22449-22450]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE PLIGHT OF THE ISRAELI PEOPLE DURING THE RECENT CEASE-
                     FIRE PERIOD IN THE MIDDLE EAST

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2003

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to an article 
written by Rabbi Israel Zobennan. His article centers around a trip he 
recently made to Israel.
  Rabbi Zoberman is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Chaverim in 
Virginia Beach. Born in Chu, Kazakhstan, in 1945, and raised in Haifa, 
Israel, he lived in Israel of 1949 to 1966.

       In the midst of renewed cautious hope to overcome the 
     deadly impasse between Palestinians and Israelis through 
     implementation of the Roadmap, I had the opportunity to 
     witness the resumption of the very lively Israeli way of life 
     during this cease-fire (Hudna in Arabic) period accepted by 
     the Palestinian terror organizations.
       The solidarity mission sponsored by my Reform movement, 
     whose hallmark is prophetic values, focused on social justice 
     issues in the Jewish state. We were exposed to inspiring 
     efforts to make a difference on the internal front in spite 
     of on-going security concerns. For that will ultimately 
     determine the very quality of Israeli society and the meaning 
     of a challenged yet enduring Zionist enterprise. Surely a 
     nation's strength is a function of its social climate and 
     democratic vitality even more so than its undergirding and 
     reflective military might. But only peace allows for the 
     essential societal flourishing which budded prior to the 
     onset of the Second Intifada and the latter's back setting 
     impact when Chairman Arafat chose the path of destruction 
     over that of dialogue.
       A major concern remains the welfare and integration of the 
     1,200,000 Israeli Arabs who live along five million Jews. 
     While the Arab population in Israel proper has made progress, 
     it still lags behind the Jewish majority socially, 
     economically and educationally. The wide gap is bound to 
     create understandable resentment and dangerous alienation 
     with Israeli Arabs already undergoing troubling 
     Palestinization and Muslim radi-
     calization leading to terrorist acts which work against them, 
     playing into the hands of those who claim they cannot be 
     trusted. The state of war with Israel's Arab and Palestinian 
     antagonists has exacerbated matters, though neglect will only 
     fester a wound whose healing is essential for Israel's long-
     term well-being. Our group was addressed by volunteer Jewish 
     members of ``Sikkuy'' (meaning a chance) which includes Arab 
     counterparts and offers training to empower Arab 
     municipalities as well as encourage their women to become 
     leaders. We toured the Lower Galilee mountain range, 
     discussing the disadvantaged Arab community in receiving 
     state allocations, the attempt to improve the weak 
     demographic Jewish presence, and the urgent need to improve 
     communication between the two groups.
       At the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon we visited the 
     pediatric intensive care unit and saw children kept alive by 
     the unique Israeli project Save A Child's Heart (SACH). It 
     was founded in 1995 by the late American born legendary 
     cardio-thoracic surgeon, Dr. Ami Cohen. A nurse on the 
     hospital team was trained at our own King's Daughters in 
     Norfolk. I was particularly moved by a Palestinian mother and 
     her infant son from the

[[Page 22450]]

     Gaza Strip. The boy is among over 800 children from 
     developing countries, a third from the Palestinian areas, who 
     have benefited from the program which is supported by private 
     funds, volunteer medical care and hostel service when 
     necessary. There was no interruption of service to 
     Palestinians when devastating suicide bombings took place in 
     nearby Tel Aviv and Netanya, and space was needed for 
     emergency treatment of victims. Imprisoned Palestinian leader 
     Marwan Barghouti on terrorism charges had a family baby 
     treated there. Also a free clinic offered services to over 
     3,000 Palestinians. To save a life, any life, is a supreme 
     sacred Jewish act practiced lovingly by Israelis.
       In Jerusalem near the Machene Yehuda marketplace and its 
     lingering memory of a suicide bombing, a community center 
     embraces a most diverse neighborhood of religious and secular 
     Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, foreign workers, haves and have 
     nots. They benefit from a joint educational program where the 
     children of all are attended to. We also lent moral support 
     to demonstrating single parents, mostly women, encamped in 
     tents outside the Knesset (Parliament). They are upset over 
     their subsidies cut following an Israeli version of the 
     ``Wisconsin Plan,'' as Israel is moving more and more from a 
     welfare state to a capitalistic one, leaving the weaker 
     classes behind, thus creating a potential social explosion 
     also in the Jewish majority.
       In Haifa, where I grew up, I stunningly paused to offer a 
     memorial prayer at the site of last March's terrorist attack 
     claiming seventeen lives, at the bus stop I use to visit my 
     aging parents. Guards are still posted at the entrance to 
     public places, checking bags and reassuring people. Tears 
     welled up in me upon hearing the breaking news that six 
     elderly Iraqi Jews were brought home to Israel in a special 
     operation representing practically the last survivors of a 
     2000 year old great exiled Jewry. What a reminder of what a 
     resilient Israel is all about with the complexities and 
     contradictions of a violated yet valiant land!

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