2018 -- H 8103

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL'S ESTABLISHMENT AND

REAFFIRMING THE BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION BETWEEN RHODE

ISLAND, THE UNITED STATES, AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Ackerman, Mattiello, Shekarchi, Knight, and Regunberg

     Date Introduced: April 24, 2018

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted to

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partition British Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and Arab state, a decision welcomed by

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Jewish leadership and rejected by the Arab world; and

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     WHEREAS, On May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of the

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sovereign and independent State of Israel, and the United States government established full

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diplomatic relations after Israel's first election in 1949; and

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     WHEREAS, The desire of the Jewish people to establish an independent modern State of

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Israel is directly linked to the existence of the historic kingdom of Israel established in the land of

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Israel 3,000 years ago, with the City of Jerusalem as its capital both then and now; and

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     WHEREAS, For over 2,000 years, Jews living in other parts of the world maintained a

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profound spiritual and emotional connection to the Land of Israel, and there has been continuous

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Jewish presence in the land comprising the modern State of Israel; and

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     WHEREAS, The establishment of the modern State of Israel as a homeland for the

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Jewish people followed the destruction of much of European Jewry during the Holocaust; and

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     WHEREAS, Since its establishment 70 years ago, the modern State of Israel has rebuilt

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the nation, forged a new and dynamic society, and created a thriving economic, political, cultural,

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and intellectual life despite the heavy burdens of war, terrorism, and unjustified diplomatic and

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economic boycotts against the people of Israel; and

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     WHEREAS, The people of Israel, in the spirit of Israel's Declaration of Independence,

 

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have established a vibrant, pluralistic, democratic political system, which includes freedom of

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speech, association, and religion; a vigorously free press; free, fair and open elections; the rule of

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law; a fully independent judiciary; and other democratic principles and practices; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel has developed some of the world's leading universities, has an

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advanced, entrepreneurial economy, is among the world's leaders of the high-tech industry, and is

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at the forefront of research and development in the fields of renewable energy sources and

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medicine; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel regularly sends humanitarian aid, search and rescue teams, mobile

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hospitals, and other emergency supplies, to help victims of disasters around the world; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel has taken in millions of Jews from countries throughout the world and

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sought to fully integrate them into Israeli society; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel has established peaceful bilateral relations with Egypt and Jordan and

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has sought to achieve a secure peace with the Palestinians and Israel's other Arab neighbors; and

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     WHEREAS, For seven decades, Rhode Island, the United States, and Israel have

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maintained a special relationship based on mutually shared democratic and moral values,

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common strategic interests, and bonds of friendship and mutual respect; and

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     WHEREAS, The American people and the people of Rhode Island feel a strong affinity

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for the Israeli people based on common values and shared cultural heritage; and

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     WHEREAS, The United States and Rhode Island continue to regard Israel as a trusted

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ally and vital strategic partner in the volatile Middle East; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representative of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby recognizes the historic significance of the 70th Anniversary of the

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reestablishment of the sovereign and independent State of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish

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people; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this House hereby reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation

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which have existed between Rhode Island, the United States, and Israel for the past 70 years, and

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commits to strengthening those bonds; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mr. Adam Greenman, President and CEO of

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the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and Yehuda Yaakov, Consul General of Israel.

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