This year, on May 14th, we will mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. We will also celebrate the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel.
The United States, under the leadership of President Harry Truman, was the first country to recognize the State of Israel. President Truman later said: “I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it—not just as another sovereign nation, but as the embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.” We need to maintain this special relationship based on shared values, common strategic interests and moral bonds of friendship. Today, we not only celebrate Israel’s independence but the significance of what Israel stands for.
Israel represents the centuries-long yearnings of the Jewish people for a homeland of their own. The pogroms in Tsarist Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Holocaust under the Nazi regime in the 1930s and 1940s, made the idea of the Jewish people having a state of their own, where they could feel secure and never again be subjected to such horrors and brutality, more compelling and necessary.
After many years of struggle, Israel emerged as an independent state. It provided refuge to tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors, many of whom had been languishing in temporary resettlement camps in Europe. The new state of Israel also became the home for Jews from scores of countries around the world.
In a short period of time, Israel developed a strong economy and became one of the leading countries in the world in many areas, including the development of scientific technology and academic learning.
Since its creation, Israel has continually confronted hostile forces that threaten its existence. The United States must remain steadfast in ensuring the security of Israel. With the assistance of the United States, Israel was able to negotiate peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively. These agreements made Israel more secure and greatly lessened the chances for another Arab-Israeli war with those two countries. However, peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, and friendly relations with its other neighbors, have proved to be more difficult.
It is my sincere wish that such negotiations succeed and that the Israeli people and all peoples of that troubled region will be able to live in a lasting peace.
Madam Speaker, I hope that all Americans will join me in congratulating the citizens of Israel and the entire Jewish community on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel.