Celebrating U.S.-Israel Relationship

Floor Speech

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Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, to celebrate the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Sixty-eight years ago, the Israeli Declaration of Independence announced that Israel ``will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.''

To those who seek to undermine and delegitimize Israel at the U.N., I suggest that you ask whether your own countries value complete equality for everyone, irrespective of religion, race, or sex, or whether you even strive for that equality.

To those who engage in economic warfare against Israel through boycotts, especially on college campuses, I ask why you attack a country that shares our own values of equality and freedom and vibrant debate even as you ignore those countries and regimes that subjugate the rights of their own people, those for whom women's equality, LGBT rights, religious tolerance, and open political discourse are anathema to their leaders and those who encourage terrorism against innocent Israelis.

Mr. Speaker, as President Johnson said: ``America and Israel have a common love of human freedom and they have a common faith in a democratic way of life.''

I stand proudly here today in deep support of our love of human freedom and unyielding support of our faith in a democratic way of life and in strong support of our great ally Israel on her 68th anniversary.

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