December 3, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1705 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS CONGRESSMAN RALPH REGULA’S greatest ally. I found Ambassador Prosor’s ment of the Palestinians is the subject of an 90TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE words enlightening, and applaud him for annual debate? speaking the truth. I would now like to submit The difference is that Israel did its utmost to integrate the Jewish refugees into soci- HON. BOB GIBBS Ambassador Prosor’s speech. ety. The Arabs did just the opposite. OF OHIO AMBASSADOR RON PROSOR AT THE UNITED NA- The worst oppression of the Palestinian TIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON NOVEMBER 24, people takes place in Arab nations. In most IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2014 of the Arab world, Palestinians are denied Wednesday, December 3, 2014 AMBASSADOR RON PROSOR citizenship and are aggressively discrimi- Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to cel- ‘‘Mr. President, nated against. They are barred from owning I stand before the world as a proud rep- land and prevented from entering certain ebrate the 90th birthday of former Representa- professions. tive, Ralph Regula. resentative of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. I stand tall before you know- And yet none—not one—of these crimes are Ralph Strauss Regula was born in Beach ing that truth and morality are on my side. mentioned in the resolutions before you. If you were truly concerned about the City, Ohio, on December 3, 1924. Prior to his And yet, I stand here knowing that today in plight of the Palestinian people there would election to Congress, Mr. Regula served in the this Assembly, truth will be turned on its be one, just one, resolution to address the United States Navy, worked as a school head and morality cast aside. teacher and principal in Stark County schools, The fact of the matter is that when mem- thousands of Palestinians killed in Syria. And if you were so truly concerned about the served on the Ohio State Board of Education bers of the international community speak about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a fog Palestinians there would be at least one res- and was a member in both the Ohio State olution to denounce the treatment of Pal- House and State Senate. In 1973, Mr. Regula descends to cloud all logic and moral clarity. The result isn’t realpolitik, it’s estinians in Lebanese refugee camps. But there isn’t. The reason is that today’s was elected to Congress and served 18 con- surrealpolitik. debate is not about speaking for peace or secutive terms, until his retirement in 2009. The world’s unrelenting focus on the speaking for the Palestinian people—it is During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Regula Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an injustice to about speaking against Israel. It is nothing served as the Chairman of the House Appro- tens of millions of victims of tyranny and but a hate and bashing festival against terrorism in the Middle East. As we speak, priations Subcommittee for Labor, Health and Israel. Human Services, and Education, where he Yazidis, Bahai, Kurds, Christians and Mus- Mr. President, worked across party lines to improve edu- lims are being executed and expelled by rad- The European nations claim to stand for cational opportunities, workforce training pro- ical extremists at a rate of 1,000 people per Liberte´, E´ galite´, Fraternite´—freedom, equal- month. grams and healthcare. He was a passionate ity, and brotherhood—but nothing could be How many resolutions did you pass last farther from the truth. advocate for research and the advancement of week to address this crisis? And how many I often hear European leaders proclaim science. special sessions did you call for? The answer that Israel has the right to exist in secure Congressman Regula billed himself a ‘‘reg- is zero. What does this say about inter- borders. That’s very nice. But I have to say— ular’’ guy. He was the son of a dairy farmer national concern for human life? Not much, it makes about as much sense as me stand- and part of a high school graduating class of but it speaks volumes about the hypocrisy of ing here and proclaiming Sweden’s right to only 25, where he developed a strong work the international community. exist in secure borders. I stand before you to speak the truth. Of When it comes to matters of security, ethic and love of community. Ralph loved the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and serving here because he cared about people Israel learned the hard way that we cannot North Africa, less than half a percent are rely on others—certainly not Europe. and helping improve their quality of life. In this truly free—and they are all citizens of Israel. In 1973, on Yom Kippur—the holiest day on House he was a pragmatic leader willing to Israeli Arabs are some of the most edu- the Jewish calendar—the surrounding Arab find solutions to tough problems. cated Arabs in the world. They are our lead- nations launched an attack against Israel. In I have personally known Ralph for over ing physicians and surgeons, they are elected the hours before the war began, Golda Meir, three decades and have many fond memories to our parliament, and they serve as judges our Prime Minister then, made the difficult meeting with him both here and in Ohio as my on our Supreme Court. Millions of men and decision not to launch a preemptive strike. women in the Middle East would welcome Congressman. Like many others I have The Israeli Government understood that if these opportunities and freedoms. we launched a preemptive strike, we would learned so much from Congressman Regula Nonetheless, nation after nation, will lose the support of the international commu- over the years. To that I say, Thank you! stand at this podium today and criticize nity. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in Israel—the small island of democracy in a As the Arab armies advanced on every recognizing the great life and career of Mr. region plagued by tyranny and oppression. front, the situation in Israel grew dire. Our Ralph Regula, wishing him a very happy 90th Mr. President, casualty count was growing and we were run- birthday. Our conflict has never been about the es- ning dangerously low on weapons and ammu- tablishment of a Palestinian state. It has al- nition. In this, our hour of need, President f ways been about the existence of the Jewish Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kis- ISRAEL AT THE UNITED NATIONS state. singer, agreed to send Galaxy planes loaded Sixty seven years ago this week, on No- with tanks and ammunition to resupply our vember 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to troops. The only problem was that the Gal- HON. STEVE ISRAEL partition the land into a Jewish state and an axy planes needed to refuel on route to OF NEW YORK Arab state. Simple. The Jews said yes. The Israel. Arabs said no. But they didn’t just say no. The Arab States were closing in and our IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and very existence was threatened—and yet, Eu- Wednesday, December 3, 2014 Lebanon launched a war of annihilation rope was not even willing to let the planes against our newborn state. Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to refuel. The U.S. stepped in once again and This is the historical truth that the Arabs negotiated that the planes be allowed to re- draw your attention to a speech given last are trying to distort. The Arabs’ historic fuel in the Azores. The government and peo- week by Israel’s Ambassador to the United mistake continues to be felt—in lives lost in ple of Israel will never forget that when our Nations, Ron Prosor. Ambassador Prosor war, lives lost to terrorism, and lives scarred very existence was at stake, only one coun- spoke passionately before the U.N. General by the Arabs’ narrow political interests. try came to our aid—the United States of Assembly about the U.N.’s persistent anti- According to the United Nations, about America. Israel agenda, which continues to manifest 700,000 Palestinians were displaced in the war Israel is tired of hollow promises from Eu- itself in many forms such as special sessions, initiated by the Arabs themselves. At the ropean leaders. The Jewish people have a same time, some 850,000 Jews were forced to long memory. We will never ever forget that formal inquiries, and one-sided resolutions that flee from Arab countries. you failed us in the 1940s. You failed us in single out Israel. I am proud of my steadfast Why is it, that 67 years later, the displace- 1973. And you are failing us again today. support for the State of Israel and will continue ment of the Jews has been completely for- Every European parliament that voted to my work to combat the U.N.’s bias against our gotten by this institution while the displace- prematurely and unilaterally recognize a ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:35 Dec 04, 2014 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K03DE8.001 E03DEPT1 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS E1706 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks December 3, 2014 Palestinian state is giving the Palestinians dom, should be ashamed.