Swine flu, the new panic of 2009. The World Health Organization has now raised the alert level to 5, the last step before a pandemic, causing the whole world to be on edge. And for many countries to start to isolate Mexico out of fear of the flu reaching their countries.

According to scientists, and as it was reported by the media, this flu is a unique combination of H5N1, which is the Avian flu, H1N1, which is a swine flu, and Type A influenza, which is a human flu that had spread during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Sounds like an experiment out of a lab to me. Yet apparently, this unique and complex combination of three different viruses that originated in three different continents, emerged from sick pigs in farms in Veracruz, Mexico and started to spread. At least that’s what was first believed. Scientists are finding it difficult to pin point what the origin of this flu is, and when it really started, because it seems to have emerged overnight.

However, according to Mexican Agriculture Department inspectors  “no sign of swine flu among pigs around the farm in Veracruz, and [...]no infected pigs have been found yet anywhere in Mexico.”

How can a flu, that allegedly spread from swine to human, not create sick pigs in the country it supposedly started in? Is the Swine flu really a natural phenomena? Did three different viruses naturally combine to create a new potentially deadly virus? Or was it man-made? And if it is man-made, what would the purpose be? To create a new way to control people through fear? To isolate certain countries? To increase the profit of certain companies?

A small side note, one of the vaccines that is currently being used for the Swine flu is TamiFlu, which was created by Gilead Corporation and Roche. Before the 2000 election the CEO of Gilead was a man by the name Donald Rumsfeld. Pharmaceutical companies are also known to make large profits from disease outbreaks.

Only Allah (swt) knows what really happened. But it’s definitely something that raises questions and deserves to be researched on.

Sources and interesting articles:

http://www.buffalonews.com/nationalworld/international/story/653926.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE53N22820090429

http://www.naturalnews.com/026141.html

A  song for Palestine and all those oppressed.

Wake Up

Every morning on the news,
All I see are the lies.
How can this be the truth?
How is this our state of mind?
Is this our reality?
Where did we go wrong? Where did we go wrong?

Children are screaming,
My heart is bleeding.
And the world is on the sidelines.
Women are crying,
Men are dying.
And the world is completely blind.
How can it be? Or have we lost our voices?
What will it take for us to wake up?

How can it be alright, to kill and to massacre?
How can it be a crime, to defend your land, to defend your life?
How can it be wrong, to speak out, against those who lie?
How can the world be so blind?
Or is it because it’s my kind?

Children are screaming,
My heart is bleeding.
And the world is on the sidelines.
Women are crying,
Men are dying.
And the world is completely blind.
How can it be? Or have we lost our voices?
What will it take for us to wake up?

What would the Prophet say, if he saw us today?
What would he do? If he saw how we let our lives go astray?
What will we say, on the day, when we’re asked how we let it be?
Will we be able to say, I woke up.

Children are screaming,
My heart is bleeding.
And the world is on the sidelines.
Women are crying,
Men are dying.
And the world is completely blind.
How can it be? Or have we lost our voices?
What will it take for us to wake up?

Please just wake up.

I was sitting on the couch doing my homework today and we had the TV on with live coverage of Taraweeh prayer from Mecca, and all I can say is masha’Allah. Not only are all three floors of Masjid Al-Haram completely filled (to the point were a person has barely enough room to make sujood), but the outside and into the street is packed with people praying. Standing shoulder to shoulder, but this time cause there is no room to stand otherwise.

SubhanAllah the Ummah seems to get stronger and larger ever year. Every year as we watch Taraweeh from Mecca, the numbers seem to be always increasing alhamduliLah. And this is only from Mecca! Now imagine Masjid Al-Nabawe, other large, and small, masjids in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, random islands in the middle of the ocean, and here at home. Masha’Allah our own masajids seem to be getting more and more crowded every year.

We always say and hear, the Muslim Ummah is not united and so on. Which is true to some extent, but alhamduliLah we should look around and see that there are signs that insha’Allah the Ummah is really starting to become closer to the deen and to stand together as ONE.

Ya Allah bring the Muslim Ummah closer to Your deen, and unite us during this blessed month and for the rest of eternity and make us truly stand as One Ummah.

This is a little late but, Ramadan Mubarak to everyone!

It strikes me as odd that the US and the EU are supposedly all about being alongside justice and fighting what is “evil”, but when that injustice or that evil is done to someone other than themselves they let it slide, or even worse defend it.

Back in December, 6 Bulgarian nurses in Libya were found guilty for the second time for deliberately infecting 426 Libyan children with HIV.  And since the very first conviction the US and the EU have been calling for the release of those 6 nurses. The latest being today when President Bush states in a press conference in the Bulgarian capital, “We strongly support the release of the Bulgarian nurses in Libya- it’s a high priority of our country” and “They [nurses] should be released and they should be allowed to return to their families.”

But didn’t these nurses commit a crime? Isn’t infecting over 400 children with a fatal disease considered a crime and shouldn’t it be punishable? But why is it that the US and the EU are strongly calling for the release of 6 individuals who committed a crime?

This leaves me with a question: what if the tables were turned? What if the nurses where Libyan and the children Bulgarian, what would the US and the EU say then? Would they call for the release of the Libyan nurses, or would they call for their punishment? What if it was their children?

How many resolutions will it take? Or is the UN being “anti-Semitic” too?

 UN Resolutions Against Israel, 1955-1992

1.  

   1. Resolution 106: “…‘condemns’ Israel for Gaza raid”

   2. Resolution 111: “…‘condemns’ Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people”

   3. Resolution 127: “…‘recommends’ Israel suspend its ‘no-man’s zone’ in Jerusalem”

   4. Resolution 162: “…‘urges’ Israel to comply with UN decisions”

   5. Resolution 171: “…determines flagrant violations’ by Israel in its attack on Syria”

   6. Resolution 228: “…‘censures’ Israel for its attack on Samu in the
      West Bank, then under Jordanian control”

   7. Resolution 237: “…‘urges’
      Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees”

   8. Resolution 248: “…‘condemns’ Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan”

   9. Resolution 250: “…‘calls’ on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem”

   10. Resolution 251: “…‘deeply deplores’ Israeli military parade in
       Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250″

   11. Resolution 252: “…‘declares invalid’ Israel’s acts to unify
       Jerusalem as Jewish capital”

   12. Resolution 256: “…‘condemns’ Israeli raids on Jordan as ‘flagrant violation”

   13. Resolution 259: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation”

   14. Resolution 262: “…‘condemns’ Israel for attack on
       Beirut airport”

   15. Resolution 265: “…‘condemns’ Israel for air attacks for Salt in
       Jordan”

   16. Resolution 267: “…‘censures’ Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem”

   17. Resolution 270: “…‘condemns’ Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon”

   18. Resolution 271: “…‘condemns’ Israel’s failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem”

   19. Resolution 279: “…‘demands’ withdrawal of Israeli forces from
       Lebanon”

   20. Resolution 280: “….‘condemns’ Israeli’s attacks against
       Lebanon”

   21. Resolution 285: “…‘demands’ immediate Israeli withdrawal form
       Lebanon”

   22. Resolution 298: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s changing of the status of
       Jerusalem”

   23. Resolution 313: “…‘demands’ that Israel stop attacks against
       Lebanon”

   24. Resolution 316: “…‘condemns’ Israel for repeated attacks on
       Lebanon”

   25. Resolution 317: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon”

   26. Resolution 332: “…‘condemns’ Israel’s repeated attacks against
       Lebanon”

   27. Resolution 337: “…‘condemns’ Israel for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty”

   28. Resolution 347: “…‘condemns’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon”

   29. Resolution 425: “…‘calls’ on Israel to withdraw its forces from
       Lebanon”

   30. Resolution 427: “…‘calls’ on Israel to complete its withdrawal from
       Lebanon’

   31. Resolution 444: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces”

   32. Resolution 446: “…‘determines’ that Israeli settlements are a ‘serious obstruction’ to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”

   33. Resolution 450: “…‘calls’ on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon”

   34. Resolution 452: “…‘calls’ on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories”

   35. Resolution 465: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel’s settlements program”

   36. Resolution 467: “…‘strongly deplores’ Israel’s military intervention in Lebanon”

   37. Resolution 468: “…‘calls’ on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return”

   38. Resolution 469: “…‘strongly deplores’ Israel’s failure to observe the council’s order not to deport Palestinians”

   39. Resolution 471: “…‘expresses deep concern’ at
       Israel’s failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”

   40. Resolution 476: “…‘reiterates’ that Israel’s claims to
       Jerusalem are ‘null and void’

   41. Resolution 478: “…‘censures (Israel) in the strongest terms’ for its claim to Jerusalem in its ‘Basic Law’

   42. Resolution 484: “…‘declares it imperative’ that Israel re-admit two deported Palestinian mayors”

   43. Resolution 487: “…‘strongly condemns’ Israel for its attack on
       Iraq’s nuclear facility”

   44. Resolution 497: “…‘decides’ that Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights is ‘null and void’ and demands that Israel rescind its decision forthwith”

   45. Resolution 498: “…‘calls’ on Israel to withdraw from
       Lebanon”

   46. Resolution 501: “…‘calls’ on Israel to stop attacks against
       Lebanon and withdraw its troops”

   47. Resolution 509: “…‘demands’ that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon”

   48. Resolution 515: “…‘demands’ that Israel lift its siege of
       Beirut and allow food supplies to be brought in”

   49. Resolution 517: “…‘censures’ Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from
       Lebanon”

   50. Resolution 518: “…‘demands’ that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon”

   51. Resolution 520: “…‘condemns’ Israel’s attack into
       West Beirut”

   52. Resolution 573: “…‘condemns’ Israel ‘vigorously’ for bombing
       Tunisia in attack on PLO headquarters

   53. Resolution 587: “…‘takes note’ of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from
       Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw”

   54. Resolution 592: “…‘strongly deplores’ the killing of Palestinian  students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops”

   55. Resolution 605: “…‘strongly deplores’
       Israel’s policies and practices denying the human rights of Palestinians

   56. Resolution 607: “…‘calls’ on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention

   57. Resolution 608: “…‘deeply regrets’ that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians”

   58. Resolution 636: “…‘deeply regrets’ Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians

   59. Resolution 641: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s continuing deportation of Palestinians

   60. Resolution 672: “…‘condemns’ Israel for violence against Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount

   61. Resolution 673: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the United Nations

   62. Resolution 681: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s resumption of the deportation of Palestinians

   63. Resolution 694: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s deportation of Palestinians and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return

   64. Resolution 726: “…‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s deportation of Palestinians

   65. Resolution 799: “…‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s deportation of 413    Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.

General Assembly Resolutions:

1. Resolution 194 (1948) : ‘resolves’ that Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their land.

2. Resolution  3379 (1975) : determine[d] that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination”(This resolution was annulled by Res. 4686 (1991) because Israel “made the revocation of resolution 3379 a condition of its participation in the Madrid Peace Conference” and the UN was “under pressure from the administration of President George H.W. Bush” to revoke resolution 3379.)

The US has used its veto powers about 32 times to protect Israel, this is about half of the total US vetoes since the establishment of the United Nations, according to, former Time Magazine Bureau Cheif, Donald Neff’s article, which was re-published in 1998. Who know what the numbers are up to now! Read the full article here.

 Source: www.ifamericansknew.org, UN official website, Wikipedia

I know these poems have been read/seen before. But I had to put them up again.

Eye to Eye
by: Gihad Ali

Look into my eyes
And tell me what you see.
You don’t see a [...] thing,
’cause you can’t possibly relate to me.

You’re blinded by our differences.
My life makes no sense to you.
I’m the persecuted Palestinian.
You’re the American red, white and blue.

Each day you wake in tranquility,
No fears to cross your eyes.
Each day I wake in gratitude,
Thanking God He let me rise.

You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay.
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I’ll survive another day.

Your biggest fear is getting ticketed
As you cruise your Cadillac.
My fear is that the tank that just left
Will turn around and come back.

American, do you realize,
That the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize
My every living day?

The bulldozers and the tanks,
The gases and the guns,
The bombs that fall outside my door,
All due to American funds.

Yet do you know the truth
Of where your money goes?
Do you let your media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth that no one knows?

You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of Zionists.
I’m terrorized in my own land
And I’m the terrorist?

You think you know all about terrorism
But you don’t know it the way I do,
So let me define the term for you,
And teach you what you thought you knew.

I’ve known terrorism for quite some time,
Fifty-five years and more.
It’s the fruitless garden uprooted in my yard.
It’s the bulldozer in front of my door.

Terrorism breathes the air I breathe.
It’s the checkpoint on my way to school.
It’s the curfew that jails me in my own home,
And the penalties of breaking that curfew rule.

Terrorism is the robbery of my land,
And the torture of my mother,
The imprisonment of my innocent father,
The bullet in my baby brother.

So American, don’t tell me you know about
The things I feel and see.
I’m terrorized in my own land
And the blame is put on me.

But I will not rest, I shall never settle
For the injustice my people endure.
Palestine is our land and there we’ll remain
Until the day our homeland is secure.

And if that time shall never come,
Then we will never see a day of peace.
I will not be thrown from my own home,
Nor will my fight for justice cease.

And if I am killed, it will be in Falasteen.
It’s written on my every breath.
So in your own patriotic words,
Give me liberty or give me death.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND!!!

REGISTER NOW AT www.msa-west.net  

*Please Note: Unfortunately Sr.Naiyerah will not be able to speak at the conference.

America is shaping Iraq into the second Palestine.

The pictures speak for themselves:

Mohamed Ali, the alleged spy, was arrested by Egyptian police at Cairo airport [AP]

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Mohamed Sayed Saber Ali, took documents from his workplace at Inshas, the site of one of Egypt’s small research nuclear reactors, and handed them over to his foreign contacts, earning thousands of dollars, the statement said.

Egyptian security officials arrested Ali on February 18 when he arrived at Cairo airport from one of several trips to Hong Kong, where he had meetings with his contacts, it added.

The statement named the Irishman as Brian Peter and the Japanese man as Shiro Izo.

They told Ali at one meeting in Hong Kong that they wanted him to work for their company from inside the Atomic Energy Agency, it said.

“The first accused [Ali] said that he understood from the course of this meeting that the company referred to was no more than a front for the activity of Israeli intelligence,” it said.

Details sought on Egyptian reactors

The government statement said Ali’s contacts were interested in information about the capability of the Inshas reactor, how many hours it operated, the type of experiments conducted with it, any technical problems with the reactor and reasons for them.

They also wanted to know how frequently the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspects the reactor, it said.

Egypt’s reactors are under IAEA supervision and the United Nations agency has had no serious complaints about Egyptian compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Egypt dropped plans for nuclear power stations in the 1980s but the government last year announced plans to take another look at nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Source: www.english.aljazeera.net

After the last post, I decided to check out more of Nancy Pelosi’s speechs, and here is what I found.  On April 1, 2007 Nancy Pelosi spoke to the Israeli Knesset about the relationship between America and “Israel”.  This time I’ll be posting the whole speech, its worth reading, just to see where our government stands regarding their relationship with “Israel”.

Pelosi Address to Israeli Knesset

04/01/2007

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a major address today to the Israeli Knesset.  She discussed America’s commitment to Israel and the challenges facing the two nations in the
Middle East.  Below are her remarks as prepared:

“Madame Speaker, Members of Knesset, Cabinet Ministers, Supreme Court Justices and Honored Guests.  Thank you.

“Speaker Itzik, I am deeply honored to accept your invitation to address this great democratic body.  I salute you for your achievements as the Knesset’s first woman Speaker.

“I stand with you tonight, conscious of all that you and I owe to the hopes and dreams of generations of Israeli and American women.  I think especially of Golda Meir, the stateswoman, leader, mother, and grandmother whose legacy we both share.

“Thank you for the opportunity to bring a message from the House of Representatives – which we call the people’s house – to this distinguished body and to the Israeli people.

“There is an unshakable bond between America and
Israel that grows out of our past and the fundamental values we share.  That bond forms the foundation of our efforts for peace, for democracy, for human freedom.  The bond between our nations points the way to the future – a democratic Israel at peace with her neighbors.  That is essential for the stability that this region desires.  And the pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit of both our nations is essential for the future all our citizens deserve.

“We remember the oldest roots of our friendship today.  We stand here in the City of Jerusalem, a home to the world’s three major religions.  We stand at the threshold of one of the holiest weeks in the Judeo-Christian calendar.  Palm Sunday is ending and Passover is about to begin.  In this moment, Jews and Christians alike celebrate the possibility of human redemption from slavery into freedom.

“‘Open for me the gates of righteousness,’ we sing in one of the season’s best-loved Psalms, ‘I will enter and give thanks to God.’

“The journey toward freedom and peace is a journey of faith, a journey of hope, a journey of a lifetime or more.  It is a journey our deepest values command us to undertake.

“When Americans look at Israel, we see the hope and promise of that journey.  The creation of Israel stands out as one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century, and as a beacon of hope to the world.  President Truman’s role in recognizing the new state just 11 minutes after its proclamation is a source of pride for Americans. 

“Forty years ago another American President, John F. Kennedy, summed up what binds Americans to Israel today when he said that Israel ‘is the child of hope and the home of the brave.  It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.’

“Americans have many political differences, but we stand united with
Israel now and always.  One example of that is the bipartisan Congressional delegation here with me tonight.  We speak with one voice, in support of a secure Jewish state of Israel living in peace with her neighbors.”

“Let me take a moment to recognize them: Delegation Co-Chairman David Hobson; Chairman Tom Lantos, with whom I share representation of the great city of San Francisco; Chairman Henry Waxman; Chairman Nick Rahall; Chairwomen Louise Slaughter; Chairman Robert Wexler; and I am especially proud that our delegation includes Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first American Muslim elected to Congress.

“We are all honored to be here, and we are honored to be with Karnit Goldwasser, who has given the world the priceless gift of her courage.  When I met her in Washington last month with Speaker Itzik, I was struck by the fact that she should be enjoying a young marriage but instead is traveling the world for her husband’s sake, Ehud Goldwasser.

“We are honored to be here with the families ofIsrael’s kidnapped and missing soldiers. We must not forget any of them.

“In the last year three more were kidnapped:  Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit.  I display their identification tags in the Speaker’s office, and I carry them with me today.  We must not rest until they are home.  We will mention this to the president of Syria.

“Americans know what it is to be brave in battle, and what it takes to be strong at home.  Respect for Israel’s courage and strength has bound our nations together since Israel’s earliest days – something I remember from my own childhood and the tradition in which I was raised.

“In 1947, a ship bound for Tel Aviv set sail from Baltimore, my native city, with a crew of young American volunteers.  History remembers this ship as the Exodus 47.  Its mission was to bring war survivors from the camps of Europe to live in Israel.  It was one of the first times that Americans made
Israel’s cause our own.

“At that time, my father was a Congressman and later Mayor of
Baltimore.  His support for a Jewish state began when he was one of a small number of Congressmen who lobbied Presidents Roosevelt and Truman first to do more to rescue Jews in Europe and later to support the creation of Israel. 

“I was fascinated to learn of Israel as a child through the Bible, where God spoke from a burning bush about a magical ‘land flowing with milk and honey.’

“I remember vividly learning about the state of Israel when my parents’ friends Simon and Irene Sobeloff came home from a visit to Israel shortly after Israel’s birth as a nation.

“The Sobeloffs visited our home and regaled us with magnificent tales about this glorious new country in the desert where courageous trailblazers were founding a democratic nation in their historic homeland.  As a little girl, I was drawn to the stories of turning sand dunes to orange groves, draining swamps to create farmland, and creating cities where before there had been none.

“And, with their stories, the Sobeloffs brought me a ring, which I just adored.  It helped create an everlasting bond for me withIsrael.

“Our shared history and ideals unite us in the challenging present.  For this reason, America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakable. 

“Israel faces existential threats that are also threats to
America.  We must track down terrorists at their sources; to protect our citizens, homes and businesses.  We must counter the terrorists’ vision of apocalypse and despair with our own clear pathway toward hope and dignity.  We must do this with strength but also with wisdom. 

Hezbollah

“Together, we must make sure that no more rockets rain down on Israel from
Lebanon in the north.  We must ensure a future in which parents can send their children to school and families can venture to markets without fear. 

“It has been almost nine months since Hezbollah’s unprovoked attack on
Israel.  Yet, Hezbollah continues to violate the U.N. resolution that set conditions to end the violence.  The 10,000 U.N. troops must be successful in preventing the shipments of weapons and supplies allowing Hezbollah to rearm.  International forces in
Lebanon must implement the U.N. resolution effectively. 

“Hezbollah must be disarmed.

Iran

“And together, we must have a simple message for
Tehran, whose support of Hezbollah is well known. 
Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.  The time to leverage all our power is now, and the way to do it is through diplomacy – with stronger sanctions and smarter policy choices. 

“Under Chairman Tom Lantos’ leadership, the U.S. Congress is moving to put additional pressure on
Iran by expanding and tightening our sanctions regime.  I am certain that our Administration will use all of its influence with Security Council members and states in the region to see that they do the same.

“Iran is not just an Israeli problem or a regional problem. 
Iran is a problem for the world. 

Iraq

“In Iraq, we must move the war beyond the unstable status quo because instability in Iraq serves only the interests of our enemies.

“We in Congress have a particular responsibility to make it clear that peace in
Iraq must come first and foremost from the political choices of Iraqis.  Even a military with the capabilities of the
United States cannot create political consensus where none exists.

“We in Congress will do everything in our power to seek a policy that makes the United States and our friends safer and the region more stable by sharing the responsibility for Iraq’s stability with Iraqis and their neighbors.

“Together, we must look to the future.

“Israeli democracy is one of the cornerstones of a more stable and democratic
Middle East.  But that hopeful vision begins with a hard recognition: we all know that we cannot have peace without security, but we also cannot have security without peace.

“I am concerned that some of those in the new Palestinian government remain committed to the destruction of
Israel.

“But I believe that the majority of Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans share our commitment to a future for
Israel and the Palestinian people living side by side in peace and security. 

“Talking with responsible Palestinian partners is a wise investment in
Israel’s future.  I know all of my Congressional colleagues join me in welcoming the agreement announced by Secretary Rice that Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Abbas will meet regularly.

“The United States, as
Israel’s trusted friend and ally, has an irreplaceable role to play in achieving a lasting peace.  The United States must have sustained high level engagement in the region to bring us closer to the day we all long for – when the entire Palestinian government is ready for peace. 

Innovation

“Our efforts toward peace are part of a rich web of ties between our nations, ties that make not just the desert but a generation bloom. 

“Americans and Israelis are pioneers and visionaries – our nations were built by people for whom obstacles like oceans, mountains, and deserts were the journey’s beginning, not its end.

“Israeli expertise and technology are helping protect cities and airports across
America.  Israeli medical technology saves the lives of American soldiers on the battlefield.  Americans with reflux disease are diagnosed by a camera-in-a-pill developed here.

“And American leaders in technology and biotechnology are exchanging their expertise in the global market with Israeli entrepreneurs with stunning results.

“But I believe we can and will do more to build even stronger Israeli-American partnership for innovation in areas like alternative energy that are crucial to the future of both our countries.

“From the negotiating table to the operating table, from the joy of a little girl’s ring to the sadness of a missing soldier’s dog tags, we find proofs of our deep friendship in the most unexpected places.

“Another one of these places is outside
Haifa, where there is a soccer stadium that many of you know as Kiryat Haim.  I understand that it has seen better days, but it used by children everyday and has a special place in the hearts of many Israelis.  Older Israelis remember its glory days hosting top
Haifa teams.  Thousands of younger Israelis themselves learned to play there or follow the careers of star players, Jews and Arabs alike, who got their start there.

“That stadium has a place in my heart as well.  In 1968, it was named for my brother Thomas D’Alesandro, who, as mayor of Baltimore, carried on my father’s support of
Israel.

“It is a great source of pride to our family that our name is shared with such a beloved Israeli institution.  It is one of the reasons it is easy for me to represent America’s love for the people of
Israel.

“Tonight I thank you for the warmth of your hospitality and I applaud you for the example of your courage. 

“Madame Speaker, please accept my deepest appreciation for this opportunity to express America’s commitment to
Israel.  This occasion is one of the great joys of my life.

“America and
Israel share a common history – nations founded to be beacons of democracy, forged by pioneers, fulfilled by immigrants.  We share a common future – as entrepreneurs and innovators, building the kind of world that we dream of for our children’s children.  And we share a common cause – a safe and secure
Israel living in peace with her neighbors.  Let us join together to recommit ourselves to the best of our heritage, and together look to the future

“Israel and the U.S., now and forever.  Thank you and Shalom.”

Who are they kidding?!?! Makes ones’ blood boil.