[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6505-6506]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE MODERN STATE OF 
                                 ISRAEL

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign 
Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
522.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 522) recognizing the 60th anniversary 
     of the founding of the modern State of Israel and reaffirming 
     the bonds

[[Page 6506]]

     of close friendship and cooperation between the United States 
     and Israel.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators have 
until tomorrow at 5 o'clock to add their names as cosponsors of this 
resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en 
bloc, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the 
Record as if given.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 522) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 522

       Whereas on November 29, 1947, the United Nations General 
     Assembly voted to partition the British Mandate of Palestine 
     and create a Jewish state;
       Whereas on May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed 
     the establishment of the sovereign and independent State of 
     Israel, and the United States Government established full 
     diplomatic relations with Israel;
       Whereas the desire of the Jewish people to establish an 
     independent modern State of Israel is an outgrowth of the 
     existence of the historic kingdom of Israel established in 
     the Land of Israel 3,000 years ago, with the city of 
     Jerusalem as its capital;
       Whereas for over 2,000 years, there has been continuous 
     Jewish presence and residence in the land comprising the 
     modern State of Israel;
       Whereas the establishment of the modern State of Israel as 
     a homeland for the Jewish people followed the slaughter of 
     more than 6,000,000 European Jews during the Holocaust;
       Whereas since its establishment 60 years ago, the modern 
     State of Israel has rebuilt a nation, forged a new and 
     dynamic democratic society, and created a thriving economic, 
     political, cultural, and intellectual life despite the heavy 
     costs of war, terrorism, and unjustified diplomatic and 
     economic boycotts against the people of Israel;
       Whereas the people of Israel have established a vibrant, 
     pluralistic, democratic political system, including freedom 
     of speech, association, and religion; a vigorously free 
     press; free, fair and open elections; the rule of law; a 
     fully independent judiciary; and other democratic principles 
     and practices;
       Whereas Israel has developed some of the leading 
     universities in the world, and 8 Israeli citizens have been 
     awarded the Nobel Prize;
       Whereas Israel has developed an advanced, entrepreneurial 
     economy, is among the world's leaders in the high-tech 
     industry, and is at the forefront of research and development 
     in the field of renewable energy sources;
       Whereas Israel regularly sends humanitarian aid, search-
     and-rescue teams, mobile hospitals, and other emergency 
     supplies, to help victims of disasters around the world, 
     including the 1994 Rwandan civil war, the 1998 bombing of the 
     United States Embassy in Kenya, the 1999 earthquakes in 
     Turkey, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 hurricanes 
     along the southern coast of the United States, and the 2007 
     fires in Greece;
       Whereas Israel has absorbed millions of Jews from countries 
     throughout the world and fully integrated them into Israeli 
     society;
       Whereas Israel has bravely defended itself from repeated 
     terrorist and military attacks since its independence;
       Whereas successive leaders of Israel have sought to achieve 
     peace with Israel's Arab neighbors;
       Whereas Israel has established peaceful bilateral relations 
     with neighboring Egypt and Jordan and has made its desire to 
     establish peaceful relations with all Arab states abundantly 
     clear;
       Whereas for 6 decades, the United States and Israel have 
     maintained a special relationship based on mutually shared 
     democratic values, common strategic interests, and moral 
     bonds of friendship and mutual respect;
       Whereas the American people feel a strong affinity for the 
     Israeli people based on common values and shared cultural 
     heritage; and
       Whereas the United States continues to regard Israel as a 
     strong and trusted ally and an important strategic partner: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the historic significance of the 60th 
     anniversary of the reestablishment of the sovereign and 
     independent State of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish 
     people;
       (2) reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation which 
     have existed between the United States and Israel for the 
     past 60 years, and commits to strengthening those bonds;
       (3) commends the people of Israel for their remarkable 
     achievements in building a new state and a pluralistic, 
     democratic society in the face of terrorism, as well as 
     hostility, ostracism, and belligerence from many of their 
     neighbors;
       (4) reaffirms its support for Israel's right to defend 
     itself against threats to its security and existence;
       (5) reaffirms its enduring support for Israel as Israel 
     pursues peace with its neighbors; and
       (6) extends the warmest congratulations and best wishes to 
     the State of Israel and the Israeli people for a peaceful, 
     prosperous, and successful future.

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