43rd Anniversary of the Reunification of Jerusalem

* Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise now to commemorate a significant event: the 43rd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, which is being celebrated today. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 271, which recognizes this important day.

* Jerusalem is one of the most historic cities in the world; it has been destroyed, besieged, attacked, captured, and recaptured multiple times. Yet in 1948, for the first time, the city was divided into two parts. For the following 19 years, access to holy sites was denied by Jordan. Even worse, synagogues were destroyed and ancient tombstones desecrated. Residents of Jerusalem could not even see the Western Wall, let alone pray there.

* At last, in 1967, Jerusalem was reunited during the Six Day War. In celebration, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan gave this oft-repeated statement:

* ``This morning, the Israel Defense Forces ..... have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour--and with added emphasis at this hour--our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity.''

* Truly, today is not cause for celebration by Jews only. Christians and Muslims also consider Jerusalem a holy city. Furthermore, visitors of many other faiths travel to the Old City to pray or simply appreciate the historic sites, which are not only accessible today, but also properly maintained.

* Sadly, some people still do not consider Jerusalem to be Israel's capital. And despite the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995, we have not yet moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is preposterous that Israel, our democratic friend and strategic ally, is the only country in which the U.S. embassy is not located in the functioning capital. I strongly encourage President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel.

* As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recently stated: ``The connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel cannot be denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot be denied ..... Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital.''

* In closing, I want to reflect on the name, ``Jerusalem.'' It is my understanding that the name of this city is built from a Hebrew root word meaning ``completeness'' or ``wholeness.'' How appropriate that for the past 43 years Jerusalem has been able to live up to its name. As Psalm 122:3 states: ``Jerusalem is built as a city that is united together.''

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