[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14212-14213]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           COMMENDING THE ISRAEL AIR FORCE CENTER FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 2006

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I want to call the attention of my 
colleagues in the Congress to the Israel Air Force Center Foundation--a 
private non-profit charitable organization which has done a great deal 
to strengthen ties between the American people and the people of Israel 
and between the military organizations of the United States and Israel 
and to enhance the peaceful commercial uses of air and space 
technology.

[[Page 14213]]

  I do this today, Mr. Speaker, because a group of the American leaders 
of the Israel Air Force Center Foundation will be visiting Washington 
next week. During their visit they will meet with leading Members of 
the Congress as well as other public and private leaders here in our 
nation's capital in an effort to strengthen the work of the Foundation 
and introduce American leaders to their work.
  Mr. Speaker, the Israel Air Force Center is a unique Israeli 
institution--part think-tank (along the lines of the Rand Corporation 
in the United States) and part media, history, and resource center 
which focuses on Israel's emergence as a world leader in science and 
technology. The Center is located in Herzliya, Israel, and housed in a 
stunning building which opened in the summer of 2003.
  The Israel Air Force Center was established by the Israel Air Force 
Association, a private organization which provides non-official support 
for Israel's fabled Air Force. The Association is similar to 
organizations in the United States which provide support for our own 
military organization such as the Association of the United States Army 
(AUSA), and like its American counterparts, it was founded by former 
Israeli Air Force officers.
  The Israel Air Force Center was established to emphasize the link 
between the Israeli Air Force, its veterans, the people of Israel, and 
an international community committed to improving quality of life 
through science and the peaceful application of aerospace technology. 
Sponsors have established major research chairs at the Center, 
including one in aviation security, to aid policy makers in key 
decisions and to strengthen the economy and security of Israel and 
advance human knowledge.
  Mr. Speaker, the Israel Air Force Center Foundation is a private, 
non-profit, tax-exempt organization in the United States which has as 
its objective providing financial support for the Israel Air Force 
Center and the activities of the Israel Air Force Association. I 
commend these patriotic Americans who participate in the Foundation's 
activities. Their efforts to strengthen the ties between the United 
States and Israel are important for both countries, and the support 
they give to the research and development activities of the Israel Air 
Force Center are beneficial to both the United States and to Israel.
  As my colleagues know, American support for Israel is more critical 
than ever in today's unstable world. As the only stable democracy in 
the Middle East, it is our responsibility to help protect Israel from 
the multiplicity of dangers on its borders and its region, including 
threats from Iran and Syria. The Israeli military forces, including the 
Israel Air Force, are a vital deterrent to those threats. The 
partnership between the U.S. Air Force and the IAF sets an excellent 
example for military cooperation. Israeli-developed systems boost the 
American Air Force's targeting and navigation ability in Afghanistan 
and Iraq, and Israeli-developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a 
vital component of U.S. military efforts on both those fronts. 
Virtually every senior IAF officer has trained in the United States, 
and most IAF equipment is U.S.-origin, including the F-15 and F-16 
fighter jets, which form the backbone of the IAF's strike force.
  In addition, the Israel Air Force Center provides fundamental 
information to the international community on current air force 
research. The Center's think-tank, the Fisher Brothers Institute for 
Air and Space Strategic Studies, fosters the growth of ideas and public 
debate by holding seminars and international conferences. The Aviation 
Safety and Security Center at the Institute is dedicated to enhancing 
and disseminating IAF expertise on aviation safety and security 
throughout the world.
  In addition to its strategic function, specific programs of the 
Israel Air Force Center undertake numerous charitable activities. The 
Adelson Institute for Academic Studies reintegrates Air Force 
servicemen and women into civilian life through training courses, 
personal guidance and links to the private business sector. The Family 
Service Center assists Air Force families cope with trauma and 
bereavement. The Center provides tremendous support and an emotional 
outlet to those whose loved ones have been killed or injured in the 
line of duty. The Center also seeks to help the larger Israeli 
citizenry by adopting developing towns and supporting educational 
programs in underprivileged communities. The Association funds day-care 
centers, kindergartens and schools in need in addition sending members 
to tutor school children.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to witness the work of the Israel 
Air Force Center firsthand during a recent visit to Israel. That 
reinforced how critically important it is for the U.S. Air Force and 
the Israel Air Force to continue working together during this crucial 
time of instability and tension within the Middle East. At the same 
time, I was able to see the vital importance of the Center in 
contributing to the U.S.-Israel cooperative relationship.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in commending the 
Israel Air Force Center Foundation for their significant contribution 
to U.S.-Israel relations, and I wish the Foundation increasing success 
in its important work.

                          ____________________