Recognizing the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel, and reaffirming unequivocal support for the alliance and friendship between the United States and Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, as the Nation's newest Member of Congress, it is truly an honor to have my first remarks on the floor be in commemoration of Israel's 62nd anniversary.

Today I proudly rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 260, which recognizes the independence of the Jewish state of Israel and reaffirms the unyielding friendship and unshakable alliance between our two great nations.

As Israelis and Jewish communities throughout the world celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, this resolution holds a special significance for me and my constituents in Florida's 19th District. I proudly represent a district with one of the Nation's largest number of Jewish

Americans, as well as Holocaust survivors.

So many of my constituents remember when the promise of Israel was only an unlikely possibility, and over the years they watched the amazing realization of this dream and the establishment of this great nation.

For so many of my constituents and to so many Americans, that day in 1948 when Israel declared its independence was the day that a promise was fulfilled to the Jewish people who for so long struggled to find a place they could call home. Sixty-two years later, Israel has grown into a thriving democratic state with a technologically advanced economy and a rich, democratic culture.

The people of Israel embrace freedom, and through art and literature, music and business, the entire globe has benefited from Israel's existence and success. Throughout these 62 years, the people of Israel have shown an open-hearted desire to live in peace and a fierce resolve to protect the security of their citizens no matter what the cost. This nation and these citizens have shown incredible determination and fortitude in the face of terrorism and threats from those who deny and threaten Israel's very existence. Whether they be attacks from terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah or the continued financial sponsorship of terrorism by Syria and Iran, the people of Israel should know that the United States will always, unequivocally stand in support of Israel's right to self-defense.

The relationship between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. The relationship is one between two peoples, our common values, the history we share, our commitment to freedom, and our joint vision of a secure and peaceful Middle East.

From the recognition of the new state of Israel by President Harry Truman in 1948 through today, let me make this clear: The United States stands with Israel and the United States will always stand with Israel. The relationship is secure and the relationship is strong.

This resolution not only reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense but recognizes that the single most serious threat facing Israel's security is that of a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran's illicit quest for nuclear weapons poses an existential threat to the state of Israel and an unacceptable threat towards the United States. The importance of this issue cannot be understated.

Just this week, the very week we celebrate Israel's independence, news organizations have reported that President Ahmadinejad has approved new uranium enrichment plans in Iran. This threat is real and it is unacceptable. Congress and the administration must work together and use every tool at our disposal to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The United States must take immediate aggressive action to ratchet up economic pressure on Iran, which I am hopeful the House will continue to work on tomorrow, and we must continue to demand that the international community join with us in this critical effort.

As a new Member of Congress, I look forward to working with my new colleagues from both sides of the aisle on initiatives that will strengthen our bond with Israel, enhance Israel's defense capabilities, and thwart Iran's nuclear weapons program.

America and Israel share a commitment not just to confronting terrorism and extremism but to bolstering freedom, human rights, and democracy across the globe.

The generosity and kindness of the Israeli people could not have been more evident than the days following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. It was Israel that arrived on the scene first and began rescuing men, women, and children trapped in the rubble. It was Israel that built the first field hospital in Haiti and began offering immediate medical care to the injured. And it was Israel that stood with those most in need because of a simple belief in universal human dignity.

Let us stand with Israel today by passing House Concurrent Resolution 260 and by expressing our most sincere hope that our dear ally Israel achieves the lasting peace it has long deserved.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 62nd Anniversary of Israel's Independence. Yom Ha'atzmaut, as it is called in Hebrew, allows us in the American Jewish Community to pay tribute to Israel by reflecting on its past achievements, while simultaneously realizing its capacity to contribute further to the global community and the advancement of human knowledge. As a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, I would like to pay tribute to Israel's Independence by highlighting some of its many accomplishments in the fields of science and technology.

The aspiration of Israeli pioneers to transform a country, which is 60 percent desert and lacks an abundance of natural resources, into a modern state, led to strategic investments in the fields of science and technology, which are now among Israel's most developed sectors. Today, Israeli scientists have contributed to advancements in the fields of agriculture, computer sciences, electronics, genetics, medicine, optics, solar energy, health sciences, and various fields of engineering. Israel is also home to many groundbreaking companies in the high-tech industry, such as Symantec and Allot. Symantec helped develop cloud computing which secures and manages information on the internet, and Allot produces the broadband pipes needed for smart phones.

Israel has over 3,850 start-ups that have been established in Israel, and has the largest number of NASDAQ-listed companies outside of North America. Most NASDAQ Israeli firms are high-tech companies, and over a dozen have market capitalizations of over $500 million.

Proportionally to its size, Israel's contributions to science and technology over the past decades have been significant. Israel has made important contributions in a number of areas in space research, including laser communication, research into embryo development, and osteoporosis, pollution monitoring, mapping geology, and soil and vegetation in semi-arid environments. Israel's lack of conventional energy sources has propelled extensive research and development of alternative energy sources--specifically innovative technologies in the solar energy field. For example, Israel has become the world's largest per capita user of solar water heaters in the home. A new, high- efficiency receiver to collect concentrated sunlight has been developed, which will enhance the use of solar energy in industry as well.

One of the major problems confronting the global water supply today is pipe leakage. For Israel, which is two-thirds desert, water-saving technologies are of critical importance. The International Water Association has cited Israel as one of the leaders in innovative methods to reduce non-revenue water, which is water lost in the system before reaching the customer. Additionally, Israel has surpassed many countries in the fields of computer engineering and computer science. Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science and the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology are ranked among the top 20 academic institutions in the world in computer science.

Israel began research and development in space exploration after establishing the Israel Space Agency to coordinate and supervise a national space program. Israel launched its first satellite, Ofeq-1, in 1998, and has since made major contributions in space research, including in areas of laser communication and pollution monitoring. Ilan Ramon became the first Israeli astronaut in space when he was chosen as a Payload Specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Israeli companies have excelled in computer security technologies, semiconductors and communications. Intel and Microsoft both built their first overseas research and development centers in Israel, and other high-tech multi-national corporations, such as IBM, Cisco Systems, and Motorola, have opened facilities in the country. An Israeli, CEO and president of M-Systems, Dov Moran, invented the first flash drive in 1998.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I celebrate the accomplishments of the State of Israel on the 62nd anniversary of her founding. Israel's successes are a reflection of their commitment to education and innovation, and a tribute to the future of the Jewish State and its people. Our shared dedication to these matters only further strengthens the bond between our two countries. For these and many other reasons, I join with my colleagues in celebration of Israel's anniversary--and as an ally for the protection and advancement of Israel's future.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Dr. Israel Zoberman, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this passage shall be recorded in the Congressional Record of the United States of America:

``The 62nd anniversary of the State of Israel is a genuine cause for celebration. It is sadly not a given having a sovereign Jewish state following a long history of denial, and current attempts to delegitimize. Israel is both the fulfillment and unfolding quest of two millennia of prayerful persistence and unyielding faith. From Inquisition to pogroms to finally a consuming Holocaust designed to seal the anti-Semitic rejection of Jewish insistence to live in fidelity to its own Biblical covenant with God--Israel's triumph of survival is thus a statement of hope in the human potential to endure monumental hardships.

``Yet what is a people to do if destined to experience the miracle of rebirth in a region as problematic as today's Middle East? That strategic geo-political gateway to continents has always enticed the appetite of empires for control, gaining access to resources, expansion and power. Colonialism took its toll, materially and psychologically, and forced the eruption of conflict between Jews and Arabs.

``The Palestinian national identity, on the soil that had been the setting for centuries of Jewish life and creativity, brought the two into tragic and perpetual conflict whose full resolution still eludes us though progress has been made. However, the reason for guarded optimism is rooted in the ultimate interests of the wider Arab and Muslim world, whose tacit recognition of Israel's factual and future existence through Egypt's and Jordan's breakthrough diplomatic ties is positive. Let all the Arab and Muslim states reach out to formally join and reassure Israel of their intentions at this critical juncture.

``What has replaced much of the anti-Israel ideology is the even more potent power of an extreme Iran, whose leaders' political plan of regional domination and world influence is cloaked in religious absolutism that loathes compromise, seeking total victory over its adversary. Consequently, Iran has been fanning and financing the dangerous turmoil produced by their proxies of Hamas and Hezbollah whose goal is to foil an Israel-Palestinian peace settlement while engaging Israel in a war of attrition on two fronts. Iran's nuclear drive is geared toward neutralizing Israel's essential deterrence, dominating the Arabs and establishing Iran as a prestigious arbiter in world affairs, while offering its Ayatollahs critical hegemony of imperialistic magnitude.

``The United States is bound to Israel through a special relationship born of compelling legacies of both countries, the common democratic ethos of free nations and shared security concerns to combat religious fundamentalism, including radical Islam.

``Overall, Israel has achieved much that is exemplary given constricting conditions. It has absorbed and saved millions of Jewish refugees. It has reached out to offer professional expertise and economic aid to many developing countries across continents. And Israel has revived the Hebrew language and culture and its higher learning institutions rank among the best with a flourishing top notch hi-tech industry. Israel has proven that for peace sake it is ready to compromise, as with the painful Gaza Disengagement that Hamas failed to appreciate. Hamas is yet to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. A united Palestinian front, free from Iran's and Syria's menacing involvement, and one eager to live peacefully as Israel's neighbor will not be disappointed in Israel's response.

``As the only democratic state, the West's canary, in the Middle East celebrates a hard-won milestone and heroically maintained independence, its fondest dream and secret weapon remains an undying attachment to the promise of shalom's blessings, and its consecrated mission of an historic people to continue inspiring the human family to bring out the best within it.''

Mr. Speaker, this week, Israel marks the 62nd anniversary of the historic date in the Hebrew calendar when the British Mandate over Palestine expired and a modern Jewish state was reborn.

Each year, Israel Independence Day, Yom Ha'atzmaut, is an opportunity to catalogue the remarkable accomplishments of a nation built on the hopes of generations. And it is an opportunity for us to reiterate the enduring support and friendship of the United States government and the American people.

This year, we celebrate a country that has engineered immense economic prosperity, even in the face of the worst economic challenge since the Great Depression. Today, Israel has the second largest number of technology startup companies in the world, after the United States. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the 1984 U.S. Free Trade Agreement, Israel boasts the largest number of NASDAQ-listed companies outside of North America. Considering Israeli leadership in bio-medical, alternative energy, and defense research, it is no surprise that Israeli GDP now rivals countries in Europe.

Military and intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel has reached unprecedented levels with operations like the joint missile defense exercise Juniper Cobra, approved sales of sensitive military technology, and regular Israeli participation in NATO patrols of the Mediterranean.

In November, I had the honor of attending the dedication of the 9/11 Living Memorial, a monument established by the Jewish National Fund in the foothills of Jerusalem beside a forest planted in the memory of those who perished on 9/11. It is the only memorial outside the United States that names all of the victims and a powerful example of the enduring and emotional connection between our nations.

This year, Yom Ha'atzmaut also comes at a moment of great anxiety. Iran is ramping up efforts to obtain nuclear weapons capability which poses an existential threat to the country's survival. Hezbollah is arming itself with Scud missiles. Gilad Shalit remains in captivity. Gaza remains unstable and in the coming months the United Nations General Assembly will again seek action on the flawed, inaccurate, and biased Goldstone Report on the war in Gaza.

In the face of all these issues, it is clear that the United States is working side-by-side with Israel to meet and resolve all of these challenges.

In the past few weeks, there have been tensions and arguments among good friends. Emotions were high after Vice President Biden's recent visit to Israel. It was distressing that the mishandling of a housing planning announcement tarnished a concrete peace initiative to launch proximity talks designed to facilitate the return to direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. But Israel is not retreating from the road of diplomacy, and neither is the United States. The Palestinian Authority should also stay the course.

What is more significant, are the exceptionally strong statements of support for Israel, its security and our alliance by the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State's and Prime Minister Netanyahu's reiteration of his commitment to participate in talks, proximity or direct, without pre-conditions.

Although Israel's enemies want to portray an atmosphere of crisis, there is nothing for them to exploit. The one-state solution they advocate to eradicate the Jewish state is transparently a policy of genocide not peace.

When peace is finally achieved, Jerusalem will remain, as it is today, the eternal capital of Israel. And this will be embraced by the United States in spirit and in law, just as it is today.

The most resounding answer to Israeli's critics is the strength and vibrancy of its democracy, its commitment to live in peace with its neighbors, and its dedication to promoting stability and security in the region.

The United States and Israel have much common ground to celebrate this year as always and we stand proud to do so.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate our friend and ally, the State of Israel, on the 62nd anniversary of her founding.

A week ago, I had the honor of attending the National Days of Remembrance ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. I was joined by 3 of my constituents, Marlboro residents Toby Shylit Mack, Community Relations Committee Chair of the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County, and her husband Bob Mack, and North Brunswick resident Lee Livingston, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County.

As always, it was a very moving ceremony. Sitting in the Rotunda, amidst survivors and liberators from the U.S. Armed Forces, I was reminded that even in 1945--out of the ashes of the most unimaginable tragedy in human history--there was nothing pre-ordained about the founding of the State of Israel. When he was President, Dwight Eisenhower said, ``Our forces saved the remnants of the Jewish people of Europe for a new life and a new hope in the reborn land of Israel.''

However, it took three years of tireless work of leaders like David Ben Gurion, Chaim Weitzmann, and Golda Meir--coupled with the dedicated support of Jews in the U.S. and throughout the world--to make the dream of a reborn land of Israel become a reality. Even upon its founding 62 years ago, there was nothing pre-ordained about Israel's survival.

The State of Israel was created with great courage, and it is from this courage that Israel continues to maintain its vibrant and strong democracy today. Israel's achievements over the last 62 years--in areas ranging from education and economics to science and agriculture--far surpass what could reasonably be expected of such a young nation. During my trips to Israel, I have witnessed the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of Israelis firsthand.

The United States always should be proud that our nation was the first country to recognize officially the new nation. In doing so President Truman confidently said, ``I believe it has a glorious future before it--not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.''

Our strong commitment to Israel's existence and prosperity remain steadfast today. Our nations' special relationship extends beyond friendship. It is built on the common values of equality and opportunity for all and our shared commitment to freedom, justice, and peace. Israel is more than just an ally; Israel is an inspiration.

Yet this outpost of democratic ideals in the Middle East continues to face external threats to her very existence. I have seen Israeli families terrorized by rocket attacks, and my visits have only strengthened my conviction that the United States must be unwavering in our support for the right and responsibility of Israel to protect her citizens from legitimate threats. While serving in Congress, I have voted for over $35 billion in economic and military assistance for Israel, and I will continue to support such measures in the future.

Ultimately, the only way to achieve lasting peace and security for the citizens of Israel is to secure a just, permanent, and peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. I believe that the greatest service the United States can provide to Israelis is as a facilitator in negotiations among the parties. It is my deepest hope that Israeli and Palestinian leaders soon will join each other at the negotiating table, with the support of the U.S. administration, to make swift progress toward an enduring peace agreement.

On Israel's 62nd anniversary, I believe more than ever that the future of Israel and the Middle East is one of peace, cooperation, security, and prosperity. I am pleased to join the Jewish community of New Jersey and all Americans in celebrating Israel's national successes, her great contributions to the international community, and her continued existence as an inspiration for us all.