Amb. Shapiro Congratulates Israel on 65 Years of Independence

Jacob Miller — April 16, 2013 – 3:15 pm | Israel Comments (0) Add a comment

To celebrate Israel’s 65^th Independence Day, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro looked ahead to the next 65 years of the U.S.-Israel relationship in his op-ed for Israel Hayom:

Congratulations to Israel on 65 years of independence! During his visit to Israel last month, President Obama celebrated 65 years of friendship between Israel and the United States and stressed that our bonds are built on our shared values, democratic ideals and a belief that by providing our citizens with opportunity and freedom we can create more just and righteous societies. On the occasion of Independence Day, I want to reaffirm President Obama’s message. The future of U.S.-Israel relations is as bright today as it has ever been, and I am confident that our nations will become even closer in the future. But our relationship is evolving, and it may be the greatest potential for growth lies in our economic ties.

In his speech in Jerusalem, President Obama focused on how Israelis and Americans are working together to make progress on the three areas that define our times - security, peace, and prosperity. The president highlighted the security relationship between the United States and Israel, which has never been stronger, and underlined America’s unbreakable commitment to Israel’s security. His message was clear: as long as there is a United States, Israel will never be alone. President Obama also urged a renewed commitment to efforts to achieve peace and to negotiations leading to two states for two peoples - an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure, democratic and Jewish State of Israel. We know the difficulties involved in this task, but it is also our responsibility to future generations…

Since the State of Israel’s founding, economic ties with the United States have grown to the point where America is now Israel’s largest trading partner. Two-way trade exceeds $40 billion per year. American direct investment in Israel and Israeli investment in America totals upwards of $20 billion. These numbers are significant, and they translate into jobs. American companies and their representatives directly employ about 60,000 Israelis, a full 2 percent of Israel’s workforce. At the same time, Israeli companies are creating tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. This job creation in both our countries is one of the clearest and most tangible expressions of how the U.S.-Israeli partnership touches the daily lives of our citizens.

As Israel celebrates another year of independence, I look forward to Americans and Israelis enhancing and building upon our already strong economic and commercial ties. Looking back on 65 years on cooperation, without a doubt, more success and prosperity is still to come for both our nations.

Read the whole op-ed here

 

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