[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 22741-22743]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ADDRESSES OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NANCY PELOSI AND 
 SPEAKER OF KNESSET AND ACTING PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL DALIA ITZIK AT U.S.-
                  ISRAEL FRIENDSHIP EVENT IN JERUSALEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2007

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, earlier this year in Jerusalem in the 
Israeli Knesset, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was 
honored at one of the most moving and significant ceremonies that I 
have witnessed as a Member of the United States Congress.
  The distinguished Speaker of the House, our colleague Nancy Pelosi of 
California, and the congressional delegation with her as well as other 
Members of Congress were guests at a state dinner held in the Chagall 
State Hall of the Knesset in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. I was 
honored to join five of our colleagues in the bipartisan delegation 
that accompanied our Speaker on this very special occasion.
  The hall, as you know, Madam Speaker, is dominated by the magnificent 
tapestry designed by Jewish artist Marc Chagall. It is hard not to be 
touched emotionally to see in Chagall's tapestry the symbols of Jewish 
identity and Israeli statehood--Moses holding the tablets of the Ten 
Commandments, David wearing his crown and dancing as he plays the harp, 
the seven-branched candelabrum which was the symbol of the Temple of 
Solomon and today is the symbol of the modern State of Israel.
  On this very special occasion Speaker Pelosi was welcomed to Israel 
by the Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, who at the time was also the 
Acting President of Israel. Following her warm and friendly welcoming 
remarks, Speaker Pelosi gave a moving statement on the strong and 
enduring ties that have linked the United States of America and the 
State of Israel since the day Israel was founded in 1948.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that the welcoming address of Speaker Itzik and 
the outstanding address in response of Speaker Pelosi be placed in the 
Record, and I strongly urge my colleagues in the Congress to give these 
statements the thoughtful attention they deserve as important documents 
on the warm friendship between our two nations.

  Address of Speaker of Knesset and Acting President of Israel Dalia 
                                 Itzik

       Madam Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United 
     States, Ms. Nancy Pelosi; Members of the Delegation from the 
     House of Representatives, Welcome to our House.
       Madam Speaker, More than two hundred years have passed, and 
     the impossible has now become possible. The United States 
     House of Representatives elected a woman Speaker. It is true 
     that there have been precedents in American democracy where 
     women have held very high positions, but this is the first 
     time that the House of Representatives has elected a woman to 
     serve as Speaker. And it was you who achieved this high 
     honor. (It took you over 230 years; it took us 58 years.)
       Ms. Pelosi and members of the distinguished delegation, in 
     less than 24 hours, tomorrow evening, the Jewish People will 
     be enveloped in the sanctity of the Passover Festival. 
     Millions of Jews--in Washington and in Jerusalem, in Tashkent 
     and in Buenos Aires, in Sydney and in Budapest--will sit down 
     together at their family Seder table. The Passover Festival 
     is for us Jews our first and most ancient festival in our 
     history, we have been remembering and celebrating this 
     festival for some three thousand two hundred years. It was 
     then that we became a nation. We went out from slavery to 
     freedom. This was a formative event in our lives.
       Another name for the Festival of Passover is the Festival 
     of Freedom. Freedom and liberty form the chain that links us, 
     the invisible chain that crosses continents and oceans from 
     Jerusalem to Washington and back.
       Madam Speaker, after two hundred and thirty years of 
     independence, liberty is for you a dream that has already 
     been realized. For us, after thousands of years, the dream is 
     still being realized. We are an ancient People, whose roots 
     are in the Bible and whose values are those of the Biblical 
     prophets, while you are, so to speak, a relatively young 
     nation and country. But we share the dream of liberty that 
     ties us together with bonds of love.
       We Israelis love the United States of America, not only 
     because of your economic, military and political support and 
     help. We love you because of that shared dream of liberty and 
     the desire for peace. The Bible tells us ``Seek peace and 
     pursue it'' (Psalms 34, 15), and you are our loyal partners 
     in that unceasing search that has not yet ended.
       Madam Speaker, the Members of the Knesset have just begun 
     their Spring Recess. Nevertheless, many of them are here with 
     us. Because of the Recess, we shall not be able to present to 
     you, during your current visit, a day of normal parliamentary 
     routine.
       The Knesset is the location where decisions concerning the 
     nation are taken. The Knesset reflects the unique nature of 
     Israeli society in all its diversity. This is a society where 
     Jews, Arabs, Druze and Circassians, veteran Israelis and new 
     immigrants all live together. There are serious disputes 
     between us.
       There are disputes, and--although it may be difficult to 
     believe--also points of agreement! And all this happens with 
     complete freedom of expression for all. The one thing that 
     unites all the members of this multi-party and divided House 
     is the hope for peace. In the State of Israel lives a nation 
     that yearns for peace, wants peace and is ready to pay a 
     heavy price for peace. At the same time, we remain aware of 
     every danger. Israel does not have the luxury of allowing 
     itself weakness, even for one moment.
       Madam Speaker, you have come to a tiny country. We have 
     only seven million citizens. A tiny country that has not 
     known a single day of quiet since its establishment. A tiny 
     country that appreciates, perhaps more than any other country 
     in the world, the efforts of your country to put an end to 
     terrorism.
       You have come to a country that observes with both pain and 
     great hope, the efforts of the great United States of America 
     to eradicate the terrorist bases in Iraq, in Afghanistan and 
     in other places.
       We, who wake up each morning fearing for our children, we 
     know how difficult it is for you in this just war, and from 
     here, from Jerusalem, we send you our heartfelt blessing for 
     your success and for the success of the free world.
       When I met you in Washington a month ago, I invited you to 
     come to visit Israel, and I am glad that you accepted my 
     invitation. During that visit I invited Karnit Goldwasser to 
     join me at our meeting. I saw how moved you were listening to 
     Karnit. I saw how moved you were by the story of our 
     kidnapped soldiers, Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, and Ehud 
     Goldwasser.
       I am proud to be the daughter of a nation whose ethical 
     code sanctifies the principle that every soldier is 
     everyone's soldier. Every missing soldier is greatly missed 
     by us all and every prisoner of war is a prisoner who it is 
     our duty to bring back home.
       The commitment of the Bush administration to the Peace 
     Process in our region is very important and precious for us. 
     As also is the President's deep friendship for Israel. The 
     intensive activity by the Secretary of State, in the spirit 
     of President Bush's policy, is most important, and is part of 
     an ongoing effort by generations of American Administrations.
       This is an opportunity to say a big thank you, through you, 
     to Israel's friends in Congress, and to express our 
     appreciation to you and to them for all their many efforts on 
     behalf of Israel and on behalf of regional stability. We are 
     pleased to discover anew each time, that the support for 
     Israel rises above any inter-party dispute in the United 
     States.
       Madam Speaker, distinguished Representatives, during your 
     visit here in Israel you

[[Page 22742]]

     will have the opportunity to see personally the exceptional 
     achievements of Israel during its fifty-eight years. Despite 
     no less than ten wars, between which we experienced many 
     horrifying acts of terrorism, we have set up a model country, 
     with a flourishing modem economy, with ground-breaking 
     research centers, dynamic culture and advanced education, 
     welfare and health systems.
       Madam Speaker, You bring here to our region a refreshing 
     breeze of hope. Your upcoming visit to Damascus arouses, 
     naturally, a political debate in your country and of course 
     here too.
       I believe in your worthy intentions. Perhaps this step--
     that may at this stage seem unpopular--that you intend to 
     take when you leave here, will make it clear to the Syrian 
     people and to the Syrian leadership, that they must abandon 
     the axis of evil, that they must stop supporting terrorism 
     and giving shelter to the terrorist's command posts, that 
     they must make a real strategic choice that will bring hope 
     to the citizens of Syria and to the citizens of the whole 
     region.
       Israel seeks peace; anyone who speaks of peace and displays 
     an honest intention to seek peace will find an ear in Israel.
       Sitting with us here this evening is Mrs. Nadia Cohen, 
     whose husband, Eli Cohen, was executed by hanging in Damascus 
     42 years ago (in 1965). Nadia, and all of Israel, has been 
     asking the Syrian Government for many long years, to allow 
     the removal of Eli Cohen's bones for burial here in Israel. 
     This would be an elementary human gesture. I hope that your 
     visit will enable the President of Syria to finally take the 
     decision that seems so necessary. By this act the Syrian 
     President could indicate to the world and to us that 
     something can nevertheless change.
       Madam Speaker, and our distinguished guests, the members of 
     your delegation, you have come here to a small country. We 
     number only seven million citizens, but fourteen million arms 
     are stretched wide open to receive you with a blessing of 
     Shalom [peace] and with the traditional greeting of welcome--
     ``B'ruchim HaBa'im'' [Blessed be those who arrive]. Please 
     look upon this House, the Knesset, the principal and primary 
     institution of Israeli democracy, as though it were your 
     House too.
       You are our brothers in the legislature and we see you and 
     your fellow Americans as true friends of Israel. We 
     appreciate your contribution to the strengthening of the 
     security and strength of the State of Israel, and feel 
     gratitude to all the American governments over the years.
       B'ruchim atem bevo'achem'' [May you be blessed on your 
     arrival]. And to all our other guests, who have come here to 
     the Knesset today, I would like to take this opportunity to 
     wish you a Happy Passover--Festival of Freedom--in the 
     embrace of your families.
                                  ____


            Address of The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

       Madame Speaker, Members of Knesset, Cabinet Ministers, 
     Supreme Court Justices and Honored Guests. Thank you.
       Speaker Itzik, I am deeply honored to accept your 
     invitation to address this great democratic body. I salute 
     you for your achievements as the Knesset's first woman 
     Speaker.
       I stand with you tonight, conscious of all that you and I 
     owe to the hopes and dreams of generations of Israeli and 
     American women. I think especially of Golda Meir, the 
     stateswoman, leader, mother, and grandmother whose legacy we 
     both share.
       Thank you for the opportunity to bring a message from the 
     House of Representatives--which we call the people's house--
     to this distinguished body and to the Israeli people.
       There is an unshakable bond between America and Israel that 
     grows out of our past and the fundamental values we share. 
     That bond forms the foundation of our efforts for peace, for 
     democracy, for human freedom. The bond between our nations 
     points the way to the future--a democratic Israel at peace 
     with her neighbors. That is essential for the stability that 
     this region desires. And the pioneering, entrepreneurial 
     spirit of both our nations is essential for the future all 
     our citizens deserve.
       We remember the oldest roots of our friendship today. We 
     stand here in the City of Jerusalem, a home to the world's 
     three major religions. We stand at the threshold of one of 
     the holiest weeks in the Judeo-Christian calendar. Palm 
     Sunday is ending and Passover is about to begin. In this 
     moment, Jews and Christians alike celebrate the possibility 
     of human redemption from slavery into freedom.
       ``Open for me the gates of righteousness,'' we sing in one 
     of the season's best-loved Psalms, ``I will enter and give 
     thanks to God.''
       The journey toward freedom and peace is a journey of faith, 
     a journey of hope, a journey of a lifetime or more. It is a 
     journey our deepest values command us to undertake.
       When Americans look at Israel, we see the hope and promise 
     of that journey, The creation of Israel stands out as one of 
     the greatest achievements of the 20th century, and as a 
     beacon of hope to the world. President Truman's role in 
     recognizing the new state just 11 minutes after its 
     proclamation is a source of pride for Americans.
       Forty years ago another American President, John F. 
     Kennedy, summed up what binds Americans to Israel today when 
     he said that Israel ``is the child of hope and the home of 
     the brave. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors 
     the sword of freedom.''
       Americans have many political differences, but we stand 
     united with Israel now and always. One example of that is the 
     bipartisan Congressional delegation here with me tonight. We 
     speak with one voice, in support of a secure Jewish state of 
     Israel living in peace with her neighbors.
       Let me take a moment to recognize them: Delegation Co-
     Chairman David Hobson; Chairman Tom Lantos, with whom I share 
     representation of the great city of San Francisco; Chairman 
     Henry Waxman; Chairman Nick Rahall; Chairwomen Louise 
     Slaughter; Chairman Robert Wexler; and I am especially proud 
     that our delegation includes Congressman Keith Ellison of 
     Minnesota, the first American Muslim elected to Congress.
       We are all honored to be here, and we are honored to be 
     with Karnit Goldwasser, who has given the world the priceless 
     gift of her courage. When I met her in Washington last month 
     with Speaker Itzik, I was struck by the fact that she should 
     be enjoying a young marriage but instead is traveling the 
     world for her husband's sake, Ehud Goldwasser.
       We are honored to be here with the families of Israel's 
     kidnapped and missing soldiers. We must not forget any of 
     them.
       In the last year three more were kidnapped: Ehud 
     Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit. I display their 
     identification tags in the Speaker's office, and I carry them 
     with me today. We must not rest until they are home. We will 
     mention this to the president of Syria.
       Americans know what it is to be brave in battle, and what 
     it takes to be strong at home. Respect for Israel's courage 
     and strength has bound our nations together since Israel's 
     earliest days--something I remember from my own childhood and 
     the tradition in which I was raised.
       In 1947, a ship bound for Tel Aviv set sail from Baltimore, 
     my native city, with a crew of young American volunteers. 
     History remembers this ship as the Exodus 47. Its mission was 
     to bring war survivors from the camps of Europe to live in 
     Israel. It was one of the first times that Americans made 
     Israel's cause our own.
       At that time, my father was a Congressman and later Mayor 
     of Baltimore. His support for a Jewish state began when he 
     was one of a small number of Congressmen who lobbied 
     Presidents Roosevelt and Truman first to do more to rescue 
     Jews in Europe and later to support the creation of Israel.
       I was fascinated to learn of Israel as a child through the 
     Bible, where God spoke from a burning bush about a magical 
     ``land flowing with milk and honey.''
       I remember vividly learning about the state of Israel when 
     my parents' friends Simon and Irene Sobeloff came home from a 
     visit to Israel shortly after Israel's birth as a nation.
       The Sobeloffs visited our home and regaled us with 
     magnificent tales about this glorious new country in the 
     desert where courageous trailblazers were founding a 
     democratic nation in their historic homeland. As a little 
     girl, I was drawn to the stories of turning sand dunes to 
     orange groves, draining swamps to create farmland, and 
     creating cities where before there had been none.
       And, with their stories, the Sobeloffs brought me a ring, 
     which I just adored. It helped create an everlasting bond for 
     me with Israel.
       Our shared history and ideals unite us in the challenging 
     present. For this reason, America's commitment to Israel's 
     security is unshakable.
       Israel faces existential threats that are also threats to 
     America. We must track down terrorists at their sources; to 
     protect our citizens, homes and businesses. We must counter 
     the terrorists' vision of apocalypse and despair with our own 
     clear pathway toward hope and dignity. We must do this with 
     strength but also with wisdom.
       Together, we must make sure that no more rockets rain down 
     on Israel from Lebanon in the north. We must ensure a future 
     in which parents can send their children to school and 
     families can venture to markets without fear.
       It has been almost nine months since Hezbollah's unprovoked 
     attack on Israel. Yet, Hezbollah continues to violate the 
     U.N. resolution that set conditions to end the violence. The 
     10,000 U.N. troops must be successful in preventing the 
     shipments of weapons and supplies allowing Hezbollah to 
     rearm. International forces in Lebanon must implement the 
     U.N. resolution effectively.
       Hezbollah must be disarmed.
       And together, we must have a simple message for Tehran, 
     whose support of Hezbollah is well known. Iran must not be 
     allowed to have a nuclear weapon. The time to leverage all 
     our power is now, and the way to do it is through diplomacy--
     with stronger sanctions and smarter policy choices.
       Under Chairman Tom Lantos' leadership, the U.S. Congress is 
     moving to put additional pressure on Iran by expanding and 
     tightening our sanctions regime. I am certain that our 
     Administration will use all of

[[Page 22743]]

     its influence with Security Council members and states in the 
     region to see that they do the same.
       Iran is not just an Israeli problem or a regional problem. 
     Iran is a problem for the world.
       In Iraq, we must move the war beyond the unstable status 
     quo because instability in Iraq serves only the interests of 
     our enemies.
       We in Congress have a particular responsibility to make it 
     clear that peace in Iraq must come first and foremost from 
     the political choices of Iraqis. Even a military with the 
     capabilities of the United States cannot create political 
     consensus where none exists.
       We in Congress will do everything in our power to seek a 
     policy that makes the United States and our friends safer and 
     the region more stable by sharing the responsibility for 
     Iraq's stability with Iraqis and their neighbors.
       Together, we must look to the future.
       Israeli democracy is one of the cornerstones of a more 
     stable and democratic Middle East. But that hopeful vision 
     begins with a hard recognition: we all know that we cannot 
     have peace without security, but we also cannot have security 
     without peace.
       I am concerned that some of those in the new Palestinian 
     government remain committed to the destruction of Israel.
       But I believe that the majority of Israelis, Palestinians, 
     and Americans share our commitment to a future for Israel and 
     the Palestinian people living side by side in peace and 
     security.
       Talking with responsible Palestinian partners is a wise 
     investment in Israel's future. I know all of my Congressional 
     colleagues join me in welcoming the agreement announced by 
     Secretary Rice that Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian 
     Authority President Abbas will meet regularly.
       The United States, as Israel's trusted friend and ally, has 
     an irreplaceable role to play in achieving a lasting peace. 
     The United States must have sustained high level engagement 
     in the region to bring us closer to the day we all long for--
     when the entire Palestinian government is ready for peace.
       Our efforts toward peace are part of a rich web of ties 
     between our nations, ties that make not just the desert but a 
     generation bloom.
       Americans and Isaelis are pioneers and visionaries--our 
     nations were built by people for whom obstacles like oceans, 
     mountains, and deserts were the journey's beginning, not its 
     end.
       Israeli expertise and technology are helping protect cities 
     and airports across America. Israeli medical technology saves 
     the lives of American soldiers on the battlefield. Americans 
     with reflux disease are diagnosed by a camera-in-a-pill 
     developed here.
       And American leaders in technology and biotechnology are 
     exchanging their expertise in the global market with Israeli 
     entrepreneurs with stunning results.
       But I believe we can and will do more to build even 
     stronger Israeli-American partnership for innovation in areas 
     like alternative energy that are crucial to the future of 
     both our countries.
       From the negotiating table to the operating table, from the 
     joy of a little girl's ring to the sadness of a missing 
     soldier's dog tags, we find proofs of our deep friendship in 
     the most unexpected places.
       Another one of there places is outside Haifa, where there 
     is a soccer stadium that many of you know as Kiryat Haim. I 
     understand that it has seen better days, but it is used by 
     children everyday and has a special place in the hearts of 
     many Israelis. Older Israelis remember its glory days hosting 
     top Haifa teams. Thousands of younger Israelis themselves 
     learned to play there or follow the careers of star players, 
     Jews and Arabs alike, who got their start there.
       That stadium has a place in my heart as well. In 1968, it 
     was named for my brother Thomas D'Alesandro, who, as mayor of 
     Baltimore, carried on my father's support of Israel.
       It is a great source of pride to our family that our name 
     is shared with such a beloved Israeli institution. It is one 
     of the reasons it is easy for me to represent America's love 
     for the people of Israel.
       Tonight I thank you for the warmth of your hospitality and 
     I applaud you for the example of your courage.
       Madam Speaker, please accept my deepest appreciation for 
     this opportunity to express America's commitment to Israel. 
     This occasion is one of the great joys of my life.
       America and Israel share a common history--nations founded 
     to be beacons of democracy, forged by pioneers, fulfilled by 
     immigrants. We share a common future--as entrepreneurs and 
     innovators, building the kind of world that we dream of for 
     our children's children. And we share a common cause--a safe 
     and secure Israel living in peace with her neighbors. Let us 
     join together to recommit ourselves to the best of our 
     heritage, and together look to the future.

                          ____________________