At its monthly meeting held on May 14th, which coincided with the State of Israel's 60th anniversary as a nation, the Republican Executive Committee of Martin County unanimously passed the following resolution:
"The Republican Executive Committee congratulates The State of Israel on its 60th anniversary as a nation. We take a special pride in President's Bush's closeness to Israel and in the fact that he addressed the Israeli Knesset (parliament) tomorrow."
The resolution symbolizes the historic closeness of the Republican Party to Israel.
In 1948, during the time period leading up to Israel's declaration of independence Republican Congressional leaders and Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey condemned the slowness of the Truman Administration to act on securing the entry of Jewish refugees and concentration camp survivors to what wan then called British Palestine.
In 1956 President Eisenhower secured United Nations forces to patrol the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip which ended terrorist activity against Israel for 11 years.
In 1973 President Nixon air lifted crucial supplies to Israel after the dastardly Arab attack on her on Yom Kippur, the most holy Jewish day.
During the 1980s President Reagan greatly increased security assistance to Israel as well as economic and trade relations. He was, up to today, Israel's greatest friend among American presidents, according to New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis.
In 1991 President George H.W. Bush sent Arrow missile batteries to Israel to protect against Iraqi Scud missile attacks andon May 15thPresident George H. Bush was hailed by the Israeli Prime Minister as a great friend and supporter and given a standing ovation by the Israeli Knesset members.
Republicans take pride in all of this because there is much to be proud of in it. We are certain that this tradition will be carried on by Senator John McCain.