Speech #880036735

On May 14. 1948. leaders of the Palestine Jewish community gathered in a small museum in Tel Aviv to declare the establishment of the State of Israel. A few hours later. the surrounding Arab countries attacked. in a war which the Secretary General of the Arab League termed "A war of extermination and momentous massacre." The Palestinian Jews know that their brethren. the survivors of the European holocaust. had been the victims of just such extermination and momentous massacre. And so. despite their own desperate situation. they opened their doors to the refugees. In the midst of her war for independence. Israel welcomed over 100.000 persons. And this was only the beginning. Between 1949 and 1952. nearly 600.000 more immigrants entered Israel. from Europe. from Arab and North African lands. from behind the Iron Curtain. During the next 6 years. another 200.000 came. During the first 15 years of Israels existence. more than 1 million human beings. from 100 different countries throughout the world. have found a life with honor within her narrow borders. Such numbers simply cannot convey what it means. in human terms. for Israel to effect the ingathering of the exiles. Imagine. if you will. the tremendous effort required to absorb one family of immigrants into the life of the new country. Landing at Haifa Harbor. this family is prepared to begin its new life with nothing more than the possessions it can carry and the clothes it can wear. The Government must prepare. even before the boat docks. to house this family and employ its father. The Government must transport the family to a settlement. which has only recently been established. and provide medical and educational facilities. It must offer social services. vocational training and guidance. Very often. it must teach the immigrants the resurrected language of the new land. The financial cost of such an undertaking is tremendous. The strain of it is felt in every Israeli pocket. Revenue which would normally be used to raise the standard of living must be diverted into rehabilitation and settlement of the newcomers. Improved housing for the original immigrants must be sacrificed to provide temporary housing for the new immigrants. In the same way. schools. hospitals. and even food and jobs are provided for the new settlers on a priority basis. The people of Israel give without end so that others may have the opportunity to live as freemen. secure in their own homeland.