PRINTER'S NO. 1598
No. 152 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY JOSEPHS, THOMAS, HERSHEY, CURRY, ARMSTRONG,
LAUGHLIN, SANTONI, PESCI, COY, TRAVAGLIO, McGEEHAN, BAKER,
DENT, COLAFELLA, L. I. COHEN, TIGUE, BENNINGHOFF, GODSHALL,
WOJNAROSKI, SATHER, ROSS, CAPPABIANCA, MARKOSEK, LYNCH,
DEMPSEY, McNAUGHTON, LEVDANSKY, BLAUM, TULLI, READSHAW,
STABACK, BUNT, GEIST, ADOLPH, DeLUCA, KENNEY, REBER,
KIRKLAND, LEDERER, BEBKO-JONES, BUXTON, MASLAND, NAILOR,
DONATUCCI, COWELL, BROWN, SHANER, LUCYK, MANDERINO, ROEBUCK,
TRUE, ROONEY, BARD, LEH, ITKIN, DALEY, BATTISTO, HERMAN,
WALKO, GIGLIOTTI, FAIRCHILD, B. SMITH, SAYLOR, BOSCOLA,
JAROLIN, ARGALL, C. WILLIAMS, PLATTS, E. Z. TAYLOR,
DiGIROLAMO AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 29, 1997
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 29, 1997
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating May 12, 1997, as "Israel Independence Day" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, After World War II, thousands of Jewish refugees who
4 survived Hitler's genocide of 6 million Jews immigrated to
5 British-held Palestine, their ancestral home where thousands of
6 other Jews lived for more than 2,000 years; and
7 WHEREAS, The British withdrew from Palestine on May 13, 1948;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, The State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948,
10 as a Western-style democracy; and
11 WHEREAS, The State of Israel began its existence by extending
12 its hand of peace to all neighboring states, calling for good
1 neighborliness and mutual cooperation with the independent
2 Jewish nation; and
3 WHEREAS, The September 13, 1993, agreement between the State
4 of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization marked the
5 first dramatic step towards peace in the Middle East since the
6 Camp David Accords; and
7 WHEREAS, An Interim Agreement was signed between Israel and
8 the Palestine Liberation Organization on September 28, 1995, and
9 is currently being implemented; and
10 WHEREAS, The State of Israel is dedicated to the process of
11 reconciliation and peacemaking in the Middle East; and
12 WHEREAS, We commend Israel's former Prime Minister Shimon
13 Peres for his steadfast commitment to the pursuit of peace in
14 the Middle East despite the assassination of his predecessor,
15 Yitzhak Rabin, and the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas suicide
16 bombers; and
17 WHEREAS, We condemn the cruel and inhuman acts of terrorism
18 which perpetuate the enmity between Israelis and Palestinians
19 and call for the implementation of effective measures to combat
20 those who support terrorism in the Middle East and the United
21 States; and
22 WHEREAS, There is a special kinship between the governments
23 and peoples of Israel and the United States and therefore we
24 call upon the Administration and the Congress of the United
25 States to continue their support for and involvement in the
26 peace process; and
27 WHEREAS, Israel's cultural vitality, military strength and
28 political, economic and social ties to the United States are a
29 continuing source of pride to the 360,000 Jews of Pennsylvania;
30 and
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1 WHEREAS, We recognize that peace is nurtured by a strong
2 economy and we encourage businesspersons of this Commonwealth to
3 contribute to the maintenance of peace by exploring and
4 investing in the expanded opportunities for trade with Israel
5 and her neighbors; and
6 WHEREAS, The people of this Commonwealth wholeheartedly
7 support the ongoing Middle East peace process; therefore be it
8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate May 12,
9 1997, as "Israel Independence Day" in Pennsylvania.
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