HLS 17RS-3897 ORIGINAL 2017 Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 213 BY REPRESENTATIVE HODGES INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: Commends the state of Israel, commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem, and designates June 7, 2017, as Jerusalem Day at the La. House of Representatives 1 A RESOLUTION 2To commend the state of Israel, commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the reunification 3 of the city of Jerusalem, and designate June 7, 2017, as Jerusalem Day at the 4 Louisiana House of Representatives. 5 WHEREAS, the land of Israel is the birthplace of the Jewish people, where their 6spiritual, religious, and national identity has been formed, where they have achieved 7independence, and where they have created a culture of national and universal significance; 8and 9 WHEREAS, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob promised in Genesis 12:3 to bless 10those who bless Israel through the promise He made to Abraham: "And I will bless them that 11bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be 12blessed"; and 13 WHEREAS, on May 14, 1948, the provisional government of Israel proclaimed the 14rebirth of the state of Israel and on that same date, the United States of America, in the 15person of President Harry S. Truman, recognized the provisional Jewish government as the 16de facto authority of the Jewish state of Israel, thereby fulfilling the Biblical prophesy in 17Isaiah 66:8 that the nation would be (re)born in a single day; and 18 WHEREAS, Israel established a form of government based on the precepts of liberty, 19justice, and peace taught by the Hebrew prophets upholding the full social and political Page 1 of 3 HLS 17RS-3897 ORIGINAL HR NO. 213 1equality of all her citizens without distinction of race, creed, or sex and guaranteeing full 2freedom of conscience, worship, education, and culture; and 3 WHEREAS, Israel became the foremost leader in the Middle East in recognizing the 4basic equality and dignity of women, thereby providing full and equal opportunities for 5women to vote, hold elected office, own property, and pursue and engage in any occupation, 6profession, or trade; and 7 WHEREAS, for more than three thousand years, since King David of Israel moved 8the capital of Israel to Jerusalem, the Jewish people have had a lasting presence in that 9ancient city; and 10 WHEREAS, some of the fiercest battles of Israel's 1948 War of Independence were 11fought over the city of Jerusalem; for Jews, the victory for independence was tarnished 12because the city of Jerusalem remained divided for nineteen years until the Six-Day War in 131967; and 14 WHEREAS, on June 7, 1967, the third day of the Six-Day War, soldiers of Israel's 15Defense Forces entered the old city of Jerusalem, which over the centuries has come to 16symbolize the love of the Jewish people for their ancient homeland, and reunited the city, 17making it once again an integral part of the Jewish state; and 18 WHEREAS, the Christian religion owes its beginnings to the Jewish religion because 19the founder of Christianity is the prominent Jewish Rabbi Jesus Christ, who declared, 20"Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22); and 21 WHEREAS, the Jewish people have also given to Christianity all of the following: 22the Sacred Hebrew Bible, the prophets, the mother (Mary) and foster father (Joseph) of 23Jesus, the twelve disciples of the Gospels, and most of the apostles of the first century 24church; and 25 WHEREAS, as elected representatives of the people of Louisiana, the members of 26the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana wish to join with the people of 27Israel in sharing their fervent hope and profound desire for an enduring peace for the state 28of Israel and its eternal, indivisible, and sacred capital, Jerusalem. 29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the 30Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend the state of Israel; does hereby Page 2 of 3 HLS 17RS-3897 ORIGINAL HR NO. 213 1commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem; and does 2hereby designate June 7, 2017, as Jerusalem Day at the Louisiana House of Representatives. DIGEST The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HR 213 Original 2017 Regular Session Hodges Commends the state of Israel, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem, and designates June 7, 2017, as Jerusalem Day at the La. House of Representatives. Page 3 of 3