[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1704-E1706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

ADDRESSES OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NANCY PELOSI AND
SPEAKER OF KNESSET AND ACTING PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL DALIA ITZIK AT U.S.-
ISRAEL FRIENDSHIP EVENT IN JERUSALEM

______

HON. TOM LANTOS

of california

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, earlier this year in Jerusalem in the
Israeli Knesset, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was
honored at one of the most moving and significant ceremonies that I
have witnessed as a Member of the United States Congress.
The distinguished Speaker of the House, our colleague Nancy Pelosi of
California, and the congressional delegation with her as well as other
Members of Congress were guests at a state dinner held in the Chagall
State Hall of the Knesset in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. I was
honored to join five of our colleagues in the bipartisan delegation
that accompanied our Speaker on this very special occasion.
The hall, as you know, Madam Speaker, is dominated by the magnificent
tapestry designed by Jewish artist Marc Chagall. It is hard not to be
touched emotionally to see in Chagall's tapestry the symbols of Jewish
identity and Israeli statehood--Moses holding the tablets of the Ten
Commandments, David wearing his crown and dancing as he plays the harp,
the seven-branched candelabrum which was the symbol of the Temple of
Solomon and today is the symbol of the modern State of Israel.
On this very special occasion Speaker Pelosi was welcomed to Israel
by the Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, who at the time was also the
Acting President of Israel. Following her warm and friendly welcoming
remarks, Speaker Pelosi gave a moving statement on the strong and
enduring ties that have linked the United States of America and the
State of Israel since the day Israel was founded in 1948.
Madam Speaker, I ask that the welcoming address of Speaker Itzik and
the outstanding address in response of Speaker Pelosi be placed in the
Record, and I strongly urge my colleagues in the Congress to give these
statements the thoughtful attention they deserve as important documents
on the warm friendship between our two nations.

Address of Speaker of Knesset and Acting President of Israel Dalia
Itzik

Madam Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United
States, Ms. Nancy Pelosi; Members of the Delegation from the
House of Representatives, Welcome to our House.
Madam Speaker, More than two hundred years have passed, and
the impossible has now become possible. The United States
House of Representatives elected a woman Speaker. It is true
that there have been precedents in American democracy where
women have held very high positions, but this is the first
time that the House of Representatives has elected a woman to
serve as Speaker. And it was you who achieved this high
honor. (It took you over 230 years; it took us 58 years.)
Ms. Pelosi and members of the distinguished delegation, in
less than 24 hours, tomorrow evening, the Jewish People will
be enveloped in the sanctity of the Passover Festival.
Millions of Jews--in Washington and in Jerusalem, in Tashkent
and in Buenos Aires, in Sydney and in Budapest--will sit down
together at their family Seder table. The Passover Festival
is for us Jews our first and most ancient festival in our
history, we have been remembering and celebrating this
festival for some three thousand two hundred years. It was
then that we became a nation. We went out from slavery to
freedom. This was a formative event in our lives.
Another name for the Festival of Passover is the Festival
of Freedom. Freedom and liberty form the chain that links us,
the invisible chain that crosses continents and oceans from
Jerusalem to Washington and back.
Madam Speaker, after two hundred and thirty years of
independence, liberty is for you a dream that has already
been realized. For us, after thousands of years, the dream is
still being realized. We are an ancient People, whose roots
are in the Bible and whose values are those of the Biblical
prophets, while you are, so to speak, a relatively young
nation and country. But we share the dream of liberty that
ties us together with bonds of love.
We Israelis love the United States of America, not only
because of your economic, military and political support and
help. We love you because of that shared dream of liberty and
the desire for peace. The Bible tells us ``Seek peace and
pursue it'' (Psalms 34, 15), and you are our loyal partners
in that unceasing search that has not yet ended.
Madam Speaker, the Members of the Knesset have just begun
their Spring Recess. Nevertheless, many of them are here with
us. Because of the Recess, we shall not be able to present to
you, during your current visit, a day of normal parliamentary
routine.
The Knesset is the location where decisions concerning the
nation are taken. The Knesset reflects the unique nature of
Israeli society in all its diversity. This is a society where
Jews, Arabs, Druze and Circassians, veteran Israelis and new
immigrants all live together. There are serious disputes
between us.
There are disputes, and--although it may be difficult to
believe--also points of agreement! And all this happens with
complete

[[Page E1705]]

freedom of expression for all. The one thing that unites all
the members of this multi-party and divided House is the hope
for peace. In the State of Israel lives a nation that yearns
for peace, wants peace and is ready to pay a heavy price for
peace. At the same time, we remain aware of every danger.
Israel does not have the luxury of allowing itself weakness,
even for one moment.
Madam Speaker, you have come to a tiny country. We have
only seven million citizens. A tiny country that has not
known a single day of quiet since its establishment. A tiny
country that appreciates, perhaps more than any other country
in the world, the efforts of your country to put an end to
terrorism.
You have come to a country that observes with both pain and
great hope, the efforts of the great United States of America
to eradicate the terrorist bases in Iraq, in Afghanistan and
in other places.
We, who wake up each morning fearing for our children, we
know how difficult it is for you in this just war, and from
here, from Jerusalem, we send you our heartfelt blessing for
your success and for the success of the free world.
When I met you in Washington a month ago, I invited you to
come to visit Israel, and I am glad that you accepted my
invitation. During that visit I invited Karnit Goldwasser to
join me at our meeting. I saw how moved you were listening to
Karnit. I saw how moved you were by the story of our
kidnapped soldiers, Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, and Ehud
Goldwasser.
I am proud to be the daughter of a nation whose ethical
code sanctifies the principle that every soldier is
everyone's soldier. Every missing soldier is greatly missed
by us all and every prisoner of war is a prisoner who it is
our duty to bring back home.
The commitment of the Bush administration to the Peace
Process in our region is very important and precious for us.
As also is the President's deep friendship for Israel. The
intensive activity by the Secretary of State, in the spirit
of President Bush's policy, is most important, and is part of
an ongoing effort by generations of American Administrations.
This is an opportunity to say a big thank you, through you,
to Israel's friends in Congress, and to express our
appreciation to you and to them for all their many efforts on
behalf of Israel and on behalf of regional stability. We are
pleased to discover anew each time, that the support for
Israel rises above any inter-party dispute in the United
States.
Madam Speaker, distinguished Representatives, during your
visit here in Israel you will have the opportunity to see
personally the exceptional achievements of Israel during its
fifty-eight years. Despite no less than ten wars, between
which we experienced many horrifying acts of terrorism, we
have set up a model country, with a flourishing modem
economy, with ground-breaking research centers, dynamic
culture and advanced education, welfare and health systems.
Madam Speaker, You bring here to our region a refreshing
breeze of hope. Your upcoming visit to Damascus arouses,
naturally, a political debate in your country and of course
here too.
I believe in your worthy intentions. Perhaps this step--
that may at this stage seem unpopular--that you intend to
take when you leave here, will make it clear to the Syrian
people and to the Syrian leadership, that they must abandon
the axis of evil, that they must stop supporting terrorism
and giving shelter to the terrorist's command posts, that
they must make a real strategic choice that will bring hope
to the citizens of Syria and to the citizens of the whole
region.
Israel seeks peace; anyone who speaks of peace and displays
an honest intention to seek peace will find an ear in Israel.
Sitting with us here this evening is Mrs. Nadia Cohen,
whose husband, Eli Cohen, was executed by hanging in Damascus
42 years ago (in 1965). Nadia, and all of Israel, has been
asking the Syrian Government for many long years, to allow
the removal of Eli Cohen's bones for burial here in Israel.
This would be an elementary human gesture. I hope that your
visit will enable the President of Syria to finally take the
decision that seems so necessary. By this act the Syrian
President could indicate to the world and to us that
something can nevertheless change.
Madam Speaker, and our distinguished guests, the members of
your delegation, you have come here to a small country. We
number only seven million citizens, but fourteen million arms
are stretched wide open to receive you with a blessing of
Shalom [peace] and with the traditional greeting of welcome--
``B'ruchim HaBa'im'' [Blessed be those who arrive]. Please
look upon this House, the Knesset, the principal and primary
institution of Israeli democracy, as though it were your
House too.
You are our brothers in the legislature and we see you and
your fellow Americans as true friends of Israel. We
appreciate your contribution to the strengthening of the
security and strength of the State of Israel, and feel
gratitude to all the American governments over the years.
B'ruchim atem bevo'achem'' [May you be blessed on your
arrival]. And to all our other guests, who have come here to
the Knesset today, I would like to take this opportunity to
wish you a Happy Passover--Festival of Freedom--in the
embrace of your families.
____

Address of The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Madame Speaker, Members of Knesset, Cabinet Ministers,
Supreme Court Justices and Honored Guests. Thank you.
Speaker Itzik, I am deeply honored to accept your
invitation to address this great democratic body. I salute
you for your achievements as the Knesset's first woman
Speaker.
I stand with you tonight, conscious of all that you and I
owe to the hopes and dreams of generations of Israeli and
American women. I think especially of Golda Meir, the
stateswoman, leader, mother, and grandmother whose legacy we
both share.
Thank you for the opportunity to bring a message from the
House of Representatives--which we call the people's house--
to this distinguished body and to the Israeli people.
There is an unshakable bond between America and Israel that
grows out of our past and the fundamental values we share.
That bond forms the foundation of our efforts for peace, for
democracy, for human freedom. The bond between our nations
points the way to the future--a democratic Israel at peace
with her neighbors. That is essential for the stability that
this region desires. And the pioneering, entrepreneurial
spirit of both our nations is essential for the future all
our citizens deserve.
We remember the oldest roots of our friendship today. We
stand here in the City of Jerusalem, a home to the world's
three major religions. We stand at the threshold of one of
the holiest weeks in the Judeo-Christian calendar. Palm
Sunday is ending and Passover is about to begin. In this
moment, Jews and Christians alike celebrate the possibility
of human redemption from slavery into freedom.
``Open for me the gates of righteousness,'' we sing in one
of the season's best-loved Psalms, ``I will enter and give
thanks to God.''
The journey toward freedom and peace is a journey of faith,
a journey of hope, a journey of a lifetime or more. It is a
journey our deepest values command us to undertake.
When Americans look at Israel, we see the hope and promise
of that journey, The creation of Israel stands out as one of
the greatest achievements of the 20th century, and as a
beacon of hope to the world. President Truman's role in
recognizing the new state just 11 minutes after its
proclamation is a source of pride for Americans.
Forty years ago another American President, John F.
Kennedy, summed up what binds Americans to Israel today when
he said that Israel ``is the child of hope and the home of
the brave. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors
the sword of freedom.''
Americans have many political differences, but we stand
united with Israel now and always. One example of that is the
bipartisan Congressional delegation here with me tonight. We
speak with one voice, in support of a secure Jewish state of
Israel living in peace with her neighbors.
Let me take a moment to recognize them: Delegation Co-
Chairman David Hobson; Chairman Tom Lantos, with whom I share
representation of the great city of San Francisco; Chairman
Henry Waxman; Chairman Nick Rahall; Chairwomen Louise
Slaughter; Chairman Robert Wexler; and I am especially proud
that our delegation includes Congressman Keith Ellison of
Minnesota, the first American Muslim elected to Congress.
We are all honored to be here, and we are honored to be
with Karnit Goldwasser, who has given the world the priceless
gift of her courage. When I met her in Washington last month
with Speaker Itzik, I was struck by the fact that she should
be enjoying a young marriage but instead is traveling the
world for her husband's sake, Ehud Goldwasser.
We are honored to be here with the families of Israel's
kidnapped and missing soldiers. We must not forget any of
them.
In the last year three more were kidnapped: Ehud
Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit. I display their
identification tags in the Speaker's office, and I carry them
with me today. We must not rest until they are home. We will
mention this to the president of Syria.
Americans know what it is to be brave in battle, and what
it takes to be strong at home. Respect for Israel's courage
and strength has bound our nations together since Israel's
earliest days--something I remember from my own childhood and
the tradition in which I was raised.
In 1947, a ship bound for Tel Aviv set sail from Baltimore,
my native city, with a crew of young American volunteers.
History remembers this ship as the Exodus 47. Its mission was
to bring war survivors from the camps of Europe to live in
Israel. It was one of the first times that Americans made
Israel's cause our own.
At that time, my father was a Congressman and later Mayor
of Baltimore. His support for a Jewish state began when he
was one of a small number of Congressmen who lobbied
Presidents Roosevelt and Truman first to do more to rescue
Jews in Europe and later to support the creation of Israel.
I was fascinated to learn of Israel as a child through the
Bible, where God spoke from a burning bush about a magical
``land flowing with milk and honey.''
I remember vividly learning about the state of Israel when
my parents' friends Simon and Irene Sobeloff came home from a
visit to Israel shortly after Israel's birth as a nation.
The Sobeloffs visited our home and regaled us with
magnificent tales about this glorious

[[Page E1706]]

new country in the desert where courageous trailblazers were
founding a democratic nation in their historic homeland. As a
little girl, I was drawn to the stories of turning sand dunes
to orange groves, draining swamps to create farmland, and
creating cities where before there had been none.
And, with their stories, the Sobeloffs brought me a ring,
which I just adored. It helped create an everlasting bond for
me with Israel.
Our shared history and ideals unite us in the challenging
present. For this reason, America's commitment to Israel's
security is unshakable.
Israel faces existential threats that are also threats to
America. We must track down terrorists at their sources; to
protect our citizens, homes and businesses. We must counter
the terrorists' vision of apocalypse and despair with our own
clear pathway toward hope and dignity. We must do this with
strength but also with wisdom.
Together, we must make sure that no more rockets rain down
on Israel from Lebanon in the north. We must ensure a future
in which parents can send their children to school and
families can venture to markets without fear.
It has been almost nine months since Hezbollah's unprovoked
attack on Israel. Yet, Hezbollah continues to violate the
U.N. resolution that set conditions to end the violence. The
10,000 U.N. troops must be successful in preventing the
shipments of weapons and supplies allowing Hezbollah to
rearm. International forces in Lebanon must implement the
U.N. resolution effectively.
Hezbollah must be disarmed.
And together, we must have a simple message for Tehran,
whose support of Hezbollah is well known. Iran must not be
allowed to have a nuclear weapon. The time to leverage all
our power is now, and the way to do it is through diplomacy--
with stronger sanctions and smarter policy choices.
Under Chairman Tom Lantos' leadership, the U.S. Congress is
moving to put additional pressure on Iran by expanding and
tightening our sanctions regime. I am certain that our
Administration will use all of its influence with Security
Council members and states in the region to see that they do
the same.
Iran is not just an Israeli problem or a regional problem.
Iran is a problem for the world.
In Iraq, we must move the war beyond the unstable status
quo because instability in Iraq serves only the interests of
our enemies.
We in Congress have a particular responsibility to make it
clear that peace in Iraq must come first and foremost from
the political choices of Iraqis. Even a military with the
capabilities of the United States cannot create political
consensus where none exists.
We in Congress will do everything in our power to seek a
policy that makes the United States and our friends safer and
the region more stable by sharing the responsibility for
Iraq's stability with Iraqis and their neighbors.
Together, we must look to the future.
Israeli democracy is one of the cornerstones of a more
stable and democratic Middle East. But that hopeful vision
begins with a hard recognition: we all know that we cannot
have peace without security, but we also cannot have security
without peace.
I am concerned that some of those in the new Palestinian
government remain committed to the destruction of Israel.
But I believe that the majority of Israelis, Palestinians,
and Americans share our commitment to a future for Israel and
the Palestinian people living side by side in peace and
security.
Talking with responsible Palestinian partners is a wise
investment in Israel's future. I know all of my Congressional
colleagues join me in welcoming the agreement announced by
Secretary Rice that Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian
Authority President Abbas will meet regularly.
The United States, as Israel's trusted friend and ally, has
an irreplaceable role to play in achieving a lasting peace.
The United States must have sustained high level engagement
in the region to bring us closer to the day we all long for--
when the entire Palestinian government is ready for peace.
Our efforts toward peace are part of a rich web of ties
between our nations, ties that make not just the desert but a
generation bloom.
Americans and Isaelis are pioneers and visionaries--our
nations were built by people for whom obstacles like oceans,
mountains, and deserts were the journey's beginning, not its
end.
Israeli expertise and technology are helping protect cities
and airports across America. Israeli medical technology saves
the lives of American soldiers on the battlefield. Americans
with reflux disease are diagnosed by a camera-in-a-pill
developed here.
And American leaders in technology and biotechnology are
exchanging their expertise in the global market with Israeli
entrepreneurs with stunning results.
But I believe we can and will do more to build even
stronger Israeli-American partnership for innovation in areas
like alternative energy that are crucial to the future of
both our countries.
From the negotiating table to the operating table, from the
joy of a little girl's ring to the sadness of a missing
soldier's dog tags, we find proofs of our deep friendship in
the most unexpected places.
Another one of there places is outside Haifa, where there
is a soccer stadium that many of you know as Kiryat Haim. I
understand that it has seen better days, but it is used by
children everyday and has a special place in the hearts of
many Israelis. Older Israelis remember its glory days hosting
top Haifa teams. Thousands of younger Israelis themselves
learned to play there or follow the careers of star players,
Jews and Arabs alike, who got their start there.
That stadium has a place in my heart as well. In 1968, it
was named for my brother Thomas D'Alesandro, who, as mayor of
Baltimore, carried on my father's support of Israel.
It is a great source of pride to our family that our name
is shared with such a beloved Israeli institution. It is one
of the reasons it is easy for me to represent America's love
for the people of Israel.
Tonight I thank you for the warmth of your hospitality and
I applaud you for the example of your courage.
Madam Speaker, please accept my deepest appreciation for
this opportunity to express America's commitment to Israel.
This occasion is one of the great joys of my life.
America and Israel share a common history--nations founded
to be beacons of democracy, forged by pioneers, fulfilled by
immigrants. We share a common future--as entrepreneurs and
innovators, building the kind of world that we dream of for
our children's children. And we share a common cause--a safe
and secure Israel living in peace with her neighbors. Let us
join together to recommit ourselves to the best of our
heritage, and together look to the future.

____________________