[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 8960]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       ISRAEL'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I wish to also speak on Israel's 60th 
anniversary. It is a very important date for a truly remarkable country 
and a remarkable people who, in a mere six decades of existence, have 
built a vibrant, successful, modern democracy out of almost nothing.
  When I was still a student, I had the opportunity to visit Israel 
with my sister. She had a college friend who had moved to Israel after 
graduation. Even back then--I was very young--I couldn't help be 
impressed by the determination and perseverance of all the people I met 
and their effort to build a vibrant, democratic state, to create a 
safe, secure homeland for all Jews, no matter where they may have 
originally been from around the world.
  I had a second opportunity to visit Israel as a Member of Congress 
many years later. It was a very different sort of trip, very different 
itinerary, a very different set of meetings than when I was a student. 
But I left with the same strong feelings of respect and admiration for 
all the people of Israel, the same recognition of their determination 
and unflagging faith in their nation and countrymen. Their belief in 
the importance of their mission had not faded at all in the years 
between my visits.
  What makes today especially notable is it is the 60th anniversary of 
the founding of the State of Israel. There is wonderful hope in this 
celebration of the 60th anniversary, and there is also sober 
appreciation of the challenges that remain.
  On the hopeful side, on the impressive side, is that in a mere 60 
years, as I have said, Israel has created a nation characterized by 
strong democratic principles, a compassionate and determined people, 
innovative industry, especially in technology, medicine, and science, a 
competitive global economy.
  In a mere six decades, Israel has built all that tremendous 
innovation, tremendous economic prosperity and progress virtually out 
of nothing, virtually out of the sands of the desert. It has become a 
beacon of freedom and democracy in a region that has very few examples 
to speak to. Israel is the only fully developed democracy in that 
sense. It represents to all peoples what can be achieved when people 
come together in a common cause, set aside differences, work together 
in a very determined way to make life better for them and their 
children. I recognize this important anniversary.
  I yield the floor.

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