BILL NUMBER: HR 50 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Allen AUGUST 4, 2014 Relative to the State of Israel. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS, On May 14, 1948, the establishment of an independent Jewish state to be known as the State of Israel was declared; and WHEREAS, The United States of America and Israel have a unique bond based on their shared, enduring values, which are reflected in the virtues and principles of freedom and democracy, and have stood together as allies since Israel was first formed as a nation; and WHEREAS, California's Jewish community has been active socially, economically, and politically in the state's formation since the California Gold Rush, and that involvement has had a positive impact on the state's multicultural and economic development; and WHEREAS, California is home to an estimated 2,000,000 Jews, making it the second largest concentration of Jews in the United States; and WHEREAS, For years, California and Israel have established business partnerships and trade relations with each other, and those partnerships have helped enhance the agricultural, educational, energy, entertainment, health, medical, scientific, and water policies in California, Israel, and the United States; and WHEREAS, Israel is not only the ancestral home of the Jewish people, and the world's only Jewish nation, but is also inhabited by people from all corners of the world, and those people practice a variety of religions, including B'hai, Christianity, Druze, and Islam; and WHEREAS, Israel has openly and honestly negotiated with its neighbors for peace, and during those negotiations, has traded land in an attempt to achieve economic prosperity and peace; and WHEREAS, Israel is recognized around the world as the strongest democratically elected government in the Middle East, and the nation' s democracy and relationship as an ally to the United States adds to the security and strength of California; and WHEREAS, In an effort to foster community understanding, peace, tolerance, communication, and brotherhood, it is important to understand the contributions that people of all cultures and religions living in California have made to California; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly recognizes both Israel's right to exist as a nation, and to exist within safe and secure borders; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.