WHEREAS, 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel in the ancestral home of the Jewish people; and

WHEREAS, On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the British Mandate of Palestine, and through that vote, to create the State of Israel; and

WHEREAS, Israel was officially declared an independent nation on May 14, 1948, in fulfillment of the eternal desire of the Jewish people to return to the land of the historic Kingdom of Israel established 3,000 years ago and to the holy city of Jerusalem; and

WHEREAS, The modern State of Israel was born out of the ashes of the Holocaust and World War II where the death of six million Jews did not eliminate the will of a people to seek dignity in life and a place of respect and recognition among the people of the civilized world; and

WHEREAS, The people of Israel have established a vibrant, pluralistic, democratic political system, including freedom of speech, association, and religion; a vigorously free press; free, fair, and open elections; the rule of law; a fully independent judiciary; and other democratic principles and practices; and

WHEREAS, Israel has developed some of the leading universities in the world, and eight Israeli citizens have been awarded the Nobel Prize; and

WHEREAS, Israel has developed an advanced, entrepreneurial economy, is among the world's leaders in the high-tech industry, and is at the forefront of research and development in the field of renewable energy sources; and

WHEREAS, Israel regularly sends humanitarian aid, search-and-rescue teams, mobile hospitals, and other emergency supplies to help victims of disasters around the world, including the 1994 Rwandan civil war, the 1998 bombing of the United States Embassy in Kenya, the 1999 earthquakes in Turkey, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 hurricanes along the southern coast of the United States, and the 2007 fires in Greece; and

WHEREAS, Successive leaders of Israel have sought to achieve peace with Israel's Arab neighbors; and

WHEREAS, Israel has established peaceful bilateral relations with neighboring Egypt and Jordan and has made its desire to establish peaceful relations with all Arab states abundantly clear; and

WHEREAS, For six decades, the United States and Israel have maintained a special relationship based on mutually respected Judeo-Christian values, common strategic interests, and moral bonds of friendship and mutual respect; and

WHEREAS, Washington State and Israel share a dynamic and growing trade relationship upon which the economies of Israel and Washington State rely; and

WHEREAS, The people of Washington State share an affinity with the people of Israel and view Israel as a strong and trusted ally;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate pause in its deliberations to congratulate the State of Israel upon the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of its independence and reaffirm the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the State of Washington and Israel; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate commend the people of Israel for their remarkable achievements in building a new state and a rule of law for everyone; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate extend its warmest congratulations and best wishes to the State of Israel and the Israeli people for a peaceful, prosperous, and successful future.