Washington, Dec 6, 2005 - Congressman Scott Garrett issued the following statement on the House floor today with regard to two pro-Israel resolutions before Congress. House Resolution 438, urging member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel, and House Res. 535, to Honor the life, legacy, and example of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his death, both passed the House today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 438 today to once again demonstrate my resolute support for the state of Israel and its beleaguered people. It is unfortunate that the Congress even need to make this statement, but the circumstances of world politics necessitate that we do.

In addition to being one of the United States’ closest allies, Israel is also the only fully-running democracy in the Middle East. Yet, ever since 1948, when the world officially re-established the State of Israel and recognized its right to exist in the Middle East, the United Nations has shown an extraordinary bias against it.

It is my hope that it would be clear to all freedom-loving peoples and peaceful nations throughout the world that such sentiment is unwarranted. Israel has done no more than promote religious and economic freedom and democratic principles to each of its citizens. And, it has done so while enduring decades of violent attacks from many of its neighbors.

The UN’s bias has only served to embolden Israel’s enemies and to promote an anti-Israel attitude. That body’s record of lagging in promotion of Israeli ambassadors to leadership positions and of turning a blind-eye when condemnation of actions against Israel were warranted is one that the United States Congress cannot blithely ignore.

As a cosponsor of H. Res. 438, I strongly encourage my colleagues to join in support of this resolution as well as the next one, H. Res. 535, which honors the life and work of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Together these resolutions demonstrate the contrast of peace and democracy versus hatred and bias that surround Israel and the United Nations’ treatment of it. I am hopeful that our united stand today will persuade the United Nations, which has a history of inefficiency and corruption, to change its approach when dealing with these issues.

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