[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       ISRAEL'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

  (Mr. MITCHELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Israel's 60th 
anniversary.
  Before I joined Congress, I had the privilege of visiting Israel. It 
was a trip that I will never forget. I will always remember my visits 
to Yad Vashem and Masada. I even have a picture of Masada hanging in my 
office to remind me of this life-changing trip.
  I have always considered myself a friend of Israel, but that trip 
made me realize that our two countries are more than just friends, we 
are relatives. Both the United States and Israel had to fight bloody 
wars of independence to establish peaceful democracies. Both countries 
know that to maintain such democracies requires eternal vigilance.
  That visit left me with a big impression and provided me with what I 
think is a unique understanding of how the security of our two nations 
is interdependent. This experience helped me understand that I have a 
responsibility to do what I can in Congress to strengthen the 
relationship between the United States and Israel. One of the ways we 
must do this is by standing firm to stop Iran from developing nuclear 
weapons.
  I was proud to cosponsor H.R. 1400, the Iran Counter-Proliferation 
Act. And in the age of growing threats to Israel's security, I was 
proud to stand up and support a foreign aid package that helped Israel 
defend itself and our own security interests in the Middle East.
  I look forward to continuing to work to ensure that the U.S.-Israel 
relationship grows stronger during this difficult time in the Middle 
East and around the globe.

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