WHEREAS, The date of 5 Iyar of the year 5760 in the Jewish calendar, or May 10, 2000, in the western calendar, marks the 52nd anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel and is a time for both celebration and retrospection; and

WHEREAS, The past half century has been a vitally important part of the almost 4,000 years of Jewish history because the State of Israel has been reborn, and has been able to welcome Jews from every corner of the globe to build a modern democracy, one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world; and

WHEREAS, Israel’s population has grown nearly tenfold since its founding in 1948, from 600,000 to some 6,000,000 today, including some 1,000,000 Arabs who enjoy equal rights in the political, social, and economic life of the country; and

WHEREAS, Israel is committed to continually welcoming immigrants from all over the world, including immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, Europe, and the Americas, totalling over 800,000 immigrants in the 1990’s alone, a higher rate than any other country; and

WHEREAS, Science and technology represent a significant portion of Israel’s economy with over 1,000 high technology startup companies, a work force that has more scientists and engineers per capita than any other country, one of the world’s highest rates of investment in research and development, and high technology exports that comprise 40 percent of Israel’s total industrial exports; and

WHEREAS, Since Israel’s rebirth 52 years ago, it has been one of the United States’ closest allies, and has been a bedrock of stability, democracy, and modernity in the Middle East, and the two countries share basic values, including the commitment to pluralism and cultural diversity; and

WHEREAS, Israel has demonstrated its total commitment to the peace process, and the United States looks forward to only strengthening its relationship to the Jewish state within the context of a Middle East graced with peace and prosperity; and

WHEREAS, California and Israel have developed extensive and mutually beneficial trade and commercial relations, and Israel has been a vital economic partner with California, with especially good cooperation in the high technology and agricultural sectors; and

WHEREAS, The rebirth of the State of Israel marked the realization of the Jewish people’s 2,000-year-old yearning to return to their home as a free people, and their dream envisions Israel standing side by side in friendship and peace with all of its neighbors; now, therefore, be it