Commemorating 100 Year Anniversary of Balfour Declaration
Good evening. It is wonderful to be here with you among colleagues and friends to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which marks the start of the important international recognition that the state of Israel is the Jewish people’s homeland. Truthfully, like many of us know, Israel is and will remain the eternal homeland of the Jewish people with or without international recognition, because Israel, with Jerusalem as its capital, was given to the Jewish people by God thousands of years ago.
It is important to celebrate this meaningful centennial to recognize the power of what Lord Balfour did to help bring the biblical truth of Israel to present-day reality. Britain’s endorsement of a Jewish homeland also demonstrated the need for strong democracies in the world to stand up with the Jewish people, who had been persecuted for thousands of years, and the prospect for them to have a homeland to be safe from outside threats.
Also, it was important for democracies to stand up for democracies. As Sarah rightly states, Israel is the Eastern outpost of the Western democracy that has provided women and minorities with equal opportunities for success, based on hard work and merit, not on color or creed. Israel embodies Western values that bring peace to a region that is riddled with war. In the middle of a region that brings devastating news to our television sets and newspapers every day, Israel is a beacon of hope. An example that speaks volumes to Israel’s character is the fact that they are treating Syrian refugees in hospitals.
Ronald Reagan famously stated that “freedom is never more than one generation from extinction.” That is why today we celebrate individuals like Lord Balfour, who contributed to the Jewish people’s ability to live free in their ancestral homeland. We celebrate Lord Balfour and declare to also protect Israel’s freedom. As a co-chair of the Republican Israel Caucus and the Israel Allies Caucus here in the U.S. House of Representatives, I am proud to be a supporter of Israel. I am fighting in Congress to ensure that America continues to support our ally and friend Israel.
