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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DOUBLE DOWN ON HEALTH TIES WITH ISRAEL
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HON. JOE WILSON
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, in the midst of the
coronavirus pandemic, we are fortunate our alliance with Israel has
never been stronger with the leadership of President Donald Trump and
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Amid international lockdowns and
cancellations due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. and
Israel quietly marked a major milestone in our militaries' bilateral
defense relationship. For the first time ever, on March 29 U.S. and
Israeli F-35s trained together in Israel in a combined air-power
exercise dubbed ``Enduring Lightning.'' Despite coronavirus-related
cancellations across the globe, this exercise over Israeli skies
illustrated the strength and endurance of the military cooperation
between our two nations. Our militaries have worked together for years
to fight the threat of terrorism and defend our way of life from those
that seek to threaten it. Today, as we all face the universal threat of
COVID-19, it's time we ensure that our cooperation with our friends in
Israel relating to public health is as prioritized as our strong
defense ties.
It's no surprise that defense has long been at the forefront of our
bilateral cooperation with Israel. But our collaboration with Jerusalem
spans all sectors of our society and our government-to-government
collaboration on public health goes back decades. In 1985 when the
Department of Health and Human Services signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Israeli Ministry of Health. The MOU provided for
the exchange of information between the two countries, joint training
and education, conferences, and collaborative projects.
But our bilateral work on public health is certainly not limited to
government-to-government cooperation. The nature of cooperation between
the United States and Israel, in every field, is based on the deep
respect, friendship, and affection between Americans and Israelis. Just
last month, the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva announced it will
donate more than six million doses of the anti-malarial drug
hydroxychloroquine sulfate to hospitals across the United States. More
than ever, we can appreciate person-to-person friendships as evidenced
by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) so ably led by
President Betsy Berns Korn and Chief Executive Officer Howard Kohr.
It is no secret that for years Israel has been at the forefront of
breakthrough scientific research and technology. Just last week, the
Galilee Research Institute in Israel announced it was on the cusp of
developing a vaccine for the coronavirus, with estimates that it could
be ready within a few weeks and available within 90 days. The Israel-
based company Pluristem developed a placenta-based cell therapy
treatment that has shown a 100 percent survival rate among severely ill
COVID-19 patients and has just begun treating American patients days
ago. During this crisis, Israel has also developed new, more affordable
methods of producing ventilators and personal protective equipment that
could change the way we respond to epidemics in the future. As we move
forward in the fight against COVID-19, we would be wise to double down
our health cooperation with Israel. There is no doubt that our two
countries will benefit from information sharing related to the virus'
spread, treatment, and containment.
I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to support deepening our
health ties with the Jewish State. As Ranking Member of the Middle East
and North Africa Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I
work closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to prioritize
the U.S.-Israel relationship. I'm grateful to be the lead Republican
with Chairman Ted Deutch (D-FL) on H.R. 1837, the United States-Israel
Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act which among other
things seeks to deepen our collaboration with Israel on health issues.
The bill calls for close collaboration with Israeli institutions on
research and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, with which
Israelis have, unfortunately, had a lot of experience given their
current security situation. It also authorizes and funds a bilateral
cooperative program with Israel for the development of health
technologies, including artificial intelligence, biofeedback, and
kidney care. Importantly, the bill, which passed the House of
Representatives in July of last year, also includes language support
for setting up a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regional office in
Israel to facilitate joint work on critical issues relating to health.
Last November, I was grateful to co-lead a letter with the Chairman of
the Helsinki Commission, Alcee Hastings, to HHS Secretary Alex Azar
underscoring that the establishment of an FDA office in Israel, ``would
facilitate collaboration in life-saving research and is a natural step
for strengthening the special relationship between our countries.''
There has never been a better time to invest in robust bilateral
health cooperation between the United States and Israel. Victory
against the Invisible Enemy will require close collaboration with
partners across the globe, especially with true friends like Israel.
It's time we deepen the ties between Washington and Jerusalem for the
sake of global public health.
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