ASHINGTON, DC-On the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Statement of U.S. Senator Bob Casey
May 8, 2008
Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel. I want to commend my colleagues from Connecticut and New Jersey, Senators Menendez and Lieberman, on their statements this morning. Since its independence in 1948, Israel’s promotion of democratic values has helped forge a thriving society and a bastion of freedom in a region where that value is sadly all too scarce. The vision of a permanent homeland for the Jewish people was centuries in the making, but was finally achieved May of 1948.
From its outset, Israel has faced a myriad of challenges, which it has navigated successfully against all odds. A small state, with few natural resources and residing in a region decidedly unfriendly to its very existence, the odds against Israel have always been high. Yet, the nation of Israel has endured. Today, Israel is known for a vibrant, high-tech economy. It successfully accommodates a significant Arab population inside its borders, allowing Arab representatives to serve in the Knesset. It has forged peace with previous enemies, including Egypt and Jordan. This will to surmount adversity time and time again comes from the tenacious spirit of its people and represents the very reason we are able to celebrate their anniversary here today.
Mr. President, I was fortunate enough to visit Israel in November of 2005 and meet various people who make up the mosaic of that great nation. Today, I want to share with my colleagues two indelible experiences. First, I toured the Vishay semiconductor plant near Tel Aviv, a plant whose base company is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. What made this plant special, outside of its Pennsylvania ties, was that it was started by a Holocaust survivor, Dr. Felix Zandman and his son Mark who led us on a tour. On the tour, we not only observed the factory processes and equipment, but also, and more importantly, the resiliency of this brave family. Dr. Zandman experienced the most horrific fate imaginable to man; out of this experience, however, he was able to pick up the pieces of his life, begin participating in his community again, and become a successful businessman who contributes to our global economy. To me, his story reflects the strength and courage embodied in the Jewish people.
The next experience occurred while attending a Saturday dinner in Jerusalem after the end of the Sabbath with Rabbi Danny Gordis, well known in the United States, who came to Israel from the United States. The Rabbi had a 19 year old daughter at that time, who was serving in the military. At dinner, Rabbi Gordis told us a story about going very early in the morning to wake up his daughter to take her back to where she was stationed in the Army, only to notice that, while soundly asleep in her bed, next to her automatic weapon was her Curious George stuffed animal from her childhood. As a father of four daughters, I will never forget that image: a young, Jewish woman bravely serving her country but not that far removed from the security and innocence of her childhood. Rabbi Gordis like so many parents in Israel, was feeling the human emotion of love for his daughter, and at the same time, for his country. There is no better example of the profound sacrifices of the Jewish people and what they have given to build and preserve the state of Israel. The story of Rabbi Gordis and his daughter is Israel’s story.
When I was there, I was reminded of a passage from scripture that was inscribed on a school which, in many ways, represented the bright promise that is the future of Israel. The scripture taken from the prophet Zechariah in the Chapter 8 reads:
“There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets if the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.”
That prophecy from long, long ago has indeed come to pass for the great state of Israel. So today and every day we celebrate their bold entrepreneurial spirit, a strong sense of community, a commitment to national service, and liberty – all of these values, combined with the democratic ideals that permeates their society. All these values make Israel what it is today and demonstrate why it is such a strong ally of the United States of America. Our two nations share a deep and unshakeable bond and that alliance, I believe, will endure for the next sixty years and all of our tomorrows, as it has for the preceding six decades.
As the world community continues to deal with the conflicts in the region, the Jewish people must know that the people of the United States will always extend our assistance to our indispensible ally as it moves forward on the road towards peace and stability. Once again, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to the State of Israel on its 60th anniversary.
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