[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5623-5624]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CELEBRATING ISRAEL'S 64TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 25, 2012

  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, sixty-four years ago the state of Israel 
declared its independence. As Israelis celebrate their Independence Day 
on Thursday of this week, I offer my wholehearted congratulations to 
our most cherished ally.
  For millennia, the state of Israel was merely a dream to the Jewish 
people. In 1948, under the leadership of Holocaust survivors who had 
resolved to overcome mid-Twentieth Century Europe's atrocities, the 
state of Israel declared independence in its ancient Holy Land and that 
dream became a reality.
  The United States promptly recognized Israel, but she was met with 
open hostility from her Arab neighbors.
  Sixty-four years later, in many respects it seems as though very 
little has changed. However, we know that Israel prevailed against 
overwhelming odds in 1948, in 1967 and in 1973 and countless other 
times. Undoubtedly, Israel is an overwhelming success in a region 
plagued by conflict.
  In a neighborhood of sworn enemies, Israel is a beacon of hope. It 
boasts a vibrant economy and a well-educated populace whose values and 
interests are much the same as ours. Israel is the only functioning 
democracy in the Middle East, and I join my colleagues who, on a 
bipartisan basis, have time and again stood by her in times of trial.
  Freedom-loving nations have a duty to stand with Israel much like 
Congress has over the years. With a growing threat from an increasingly 
hostile Iranian regime, a regime that has threatened on more than one 
occasion to `wipe Israel off the map,' let us recommit ourselves to the 
defense of the state of Israel. As we celebrate the 64th anniversary of 
her founding, the United States must renew its commitment to preserve 
and protect Israel and stand firm as Israel's closest friend.

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