Mr. Speaker, tonight marks the 50th anniversary of the modern State of Israel. Born out of the ashes of the Holocaust and invaded by five countries on the very day of its independence, Israel has survived and thrived against all odds. Israel at 50 is a remarkable nation where Jews from all over the world go to live in freedom.
In recent years hundreds of thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union and from Africa have immigrated to Israel, adding their own distinctive character to that growing country. In Israel, Arabs and Jews sit side by side in the Israeli Knesset and all citizens are allowed to practise their own religious and political beliefs.
Perhaps nothing speaks to Israel's spirit more than its national anthem, called “Hatikvah” which means “The Hope”. I call upon all members of this House to join with me in expressing our hope that Israel's next 50 years will be peaceful and prosperous and that she will live in harmony with all of her neighbours.