[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 5889-5890]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       ISRAEL'S 62ND ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my congratulations 
to Israel on the 62nd anniversary of its independence.
  This week, America's closest ally in the Middle East, Israel, 
commemorated its Independence Day, Yom Ha'atzmaut, 1 day after its 
Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron, and 1 week after Holocaust Remembrance 
Day, Yom HaShoah.
  While Independence Day is about celebration for the people of Israel, 
this Memorial Day was marked by somber ceremonies and national grief 
over the loss of their soldiers. Nationwide sirens and moments of 
silence emphasize the sacrifices all Israelis have made living in their 
thriving, free and democratic state. These intensely personal losses in 
such a small country underscore the continuing threats faced by 
Israelis, the scale of their efforts and the importance of a Jewish 
homeland.
  I commemorated last week's observance of Yom HaShoah in Baltimore, 
where I joined fellow community members to view a movie marking the 
50th anniversary of Adolf Eichmann's capture and trial. Eichmann was a 
premier architect of the Holocaust. Rather than dealing with such a war 
criminal through forceful vengeance that would have been 
understandable, Israel prosecuted Eichmann by following the rule of law 
and his trial was a model of transparency and justice. This display of 
our shared values of law, justice, and fairness help to illustrate why 
the United States and Israel have continued to build upon our ``special 
relationship'' for six decades.
  I observed Israel Independence Day at an event focused on the growing 
threat of a nuclear Iran. If Iran acquired this capability, it would be 
an unequivocal ``game changer'' in the Middle East and, indeed, 
throughout the world. An undeniable threat to Israel and the United 
States, a nuclear

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Iran cannot become a reality. We therefore must do all in our power to 
prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities. One of our first 
steps should be immediate enactment of powerful and effective economic 
sanctions against Iran, and the foreign companies that do business with 
this rogue nation.
  While we work to minimize the key threats to Israel's security, we 
must also focus on opportunities for peace in the Middle East. Israel 
has always been prepared to pursue those opportunities and make peace 
with its neighbors. Over the past six decades, despite diplomatic 
gestures, multiple Arab countries have repeatedly attacked Israel. We 
should not forget that it was the Palestinian's leaders who walked away 
from the negotiation table at Camp David in 2000, on the eve of what 
would have been a historic breakthrough for peace.
  Today, it is Israel who continues to acknowledge the necessary 
framework for any peace agreements, a two-state solution. While Israel 
has shown willingness for direct negotiations, the Palestinians 
continue to be, an unreliable partner in moving forward towards peace. 
How can Israel make peace with any partner whose so-called ``moderate'' 
Fatah leaders are not willing to meet directly with Israelis leaders 
and whose Parliament is controlled by Hamas, an organization still 
sworn to the destruction of Israel?
  I am proud to have joined with 75 of my colleagues in reaching out to 
Secretary of State Clinton in a recent letter which included a 
reaffirmation of this fact as well as a reminder, that not only do the 
U.S. and Israel share common values but also common interests. Top 
among these interests is restarting the peace process and preventing 
Iran from becoming a nuclear state.
  This is precisely why the role of the United States in this process 
must be one of an honest broker. President Obama must not place 
wrongful or unreasonable pressure on Israel or, worse, to put forward a 
proposal without Israel's consent.
  Since Israel's founding 62 years ago, every American administration 
has worked to strengthen the bonds between the U.S. and Israel. This 
has been vital for Israel, as the nation is under constant threat of 
military and terrorist attacks, economic boycotts and diplomatic 
hostility, often merely due to the fact of its very existence. At this 
critical moment, when Iran is moving forward with its nuclear program 
and simultaneously strengthening Hezbollah's capacity to attack Israel, 
it is imperative the Obama administration say in clear and unambiguous 
language that we stand with the people of Israel and will do all in our 
power to protect our shared values and national bonds.
  As Israel celebrates its anniversary, let us all proclaim that the 
U.S. continues its unbreakable alliance with our closest ally in the 
Middle East.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cardin). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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