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NEW YORK - Congressman Rangel released the following statement in honor of the 58th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel:
Israel is a land, which one hundred years ago, was riddled with swamps, but has today become a bustling country with a strong economy. Its people, which were once spread throughout the world, now have a place they call home. Its military, which once consisted of a small band of unorganized groups, has today become one of the mightiest and most advanced in the world. Its government, which fought for recognition for so long, is now the only true democracy in the Middle East.
According to new data from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel has 7.026 million inhabitants. This is in comparison to the 806,000 residents who lived in Israel in 1948, the year she declared her independence – a near nine-fold increase in nearly six decades. Over the past year alone, her population increased by 118,000. Of these, 21,000 were new immigrants who made an aliyah – a commendable journey considering the fact that these families left their life behind to start anew in a place they did not know.
In 2005, the Jewish Year Calendar estimated that there were 14.6 million Jews living in the world. Of those, nearly forty percent or 5.3 million live in the state of Israel. One noteworthy group of Jews is the Ethiopian population, who immigrated to Israel over the past decade and a half, and has contributed to Israeli society. While the majority of Israel's population is Jewish (76 percent), it is important to note that a significant number (1.387 million) of Arabs live within her borders as well.
What is probably most impressive about the State is the fact that it has managed to become a regional superpower thanks to its thriving economy even though it has virtually no natural resources. Advanced agriculture, booming biotechnology and IT sectors, and a successful diamond trade, are some of the industries that have contributed to this accomplishment. Intel, for example, has recently announced that it will be opening a second factory in Israel for manufacturing microprocessors. Furthermore, Israel's sophisticated security companies have been pioneers in the field of surveillance and tactical weaponry. Her counterterrorism experts serve as consultants to both government and private entities worldwide. But even as her economy continues to strengthen, Israel has put its people first by creating a solid and affordable education system, a strong welfare safety net, and universal healthcare.
All of these successes aside, Israel still faces some of the same struggles it faced when it was founded. A JTA article sums it best:
"[A]s it celebrates its birthday this week, it faces some of the same problems it did at its inception: a lack of universal recognition, ongoing terrorism and the threat of physical destruction."
The best way to address these ongoing struggles is to find a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the longest running ethnic conflict since World War II. This conflict has brought nothing but sorrow and despair to so many and the United States must continue to play an active role in urging all sides to practice restraint as it follows the UN-backed Roadmap.
Israel is one of our strongest and most important allies and its friendship is invaluable. As she celebrates another year of independence, we join her and wish her a chag sameach [happy holiday in Hebrew].
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