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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 268 Introduced in House (IH)]

105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 268

 Honoring the international corps of volunteers, known as Machal, who 
               served Israel in its War of Independence.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 1998

  Ms. Harman submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
 Honoring the international corps of volunteers, known as Machal, who 
               served Israel in its War of Independence.

Whereas on November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted to 
        partition the British Mandate of Palestine and to create the State of 
        Israel;
Whereas on May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of 
        the sovereign and independent State of Israel, which the United States 
        immediately recognized by establishing diplomatic relations;
Whereas the new State of Israel, having no regular army, no tanks, no military 
        planes, and no artillery with which to defend itself, faced the enmity 
        of neighboring countries and the clear prospect of war;
Whereas, in anticipation of the need to defend itself from invasion, Israel's 
        leaders augmented the country's defenses by recruiting an international 
        corps of volunteers, known as ``Machal'' and whose members were known as 
        ``Machalniks'' for the Hebrew ``Mitnadvei Chutz L'Aretz'' meaning 
        ``volunteers from outside Israel'';
Whereas the Machal volunteers came from 37 different countries and included 
        among their ranks 1,500 Americans, 400 Canadians, 700 South Africans, 
        600 Britons, and contingents from France, Belgium, Australia, the 
        Belgian Congo, Rhodesia, Finland, Russia, Argentina, and Cuba;
Whereas the Machal volunteers, many of whom were veterans of World War II, were 
        eager to support the new Jewish state in its hour of need and 
        volunteered despite obstacles, restrictions, and prohibitions, some of 
        which were imposed on them by their own governments;
Whereas the Machal volunteers served in 14 branches of the Israeli military 
        during the country's War of Independence and were among Israel's first 
        naval commanders, radar technicians, heavy artillery gunners, tank 
        commanders, senior infantry commanders, fighter and bomber pilots, and 
        surgeons treating eye wounds and burns;
Whereas the Machal volunteers formed the core of the Israeli Air Force, 
        providing battle-hardened combat pilots for the first fighter and bomber 
        wings, and creating the Air Transport Command that ferried badly needed 
        Messerschmitt aircraft and weapons from Czechoslovakia to Tel Nof Air 
        Base in Israel;
Whereas 240 American and Canadian Machal volunteers served as crews aboard the 
        10 ``Aliya Bet'' ships that brought 32,000 Holocaust survivors to the 
        British Mandate of Palestine, in defiance of the British blockade on 
        Jewish immigration;
Whereas the Machal volunteers contributed far beyond their numbers to Israel's 
        capability to fight one of its most decisive wars;
Whereas, while the Israeli War of Independence was costly for all of Israel, the 
        Machal volunteers suffered disproportionately, losing 119 volunteers in 
        action, including 19 of the 33 pilots who lost their lives fighting for 
        Israel; and
Whereas, as the world prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Israeli 
        War of Independence, the heroic role of the Machal volunteers serving 
        Israel in its hour of need deserves recognition: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress honors the courageous service of the international 
corps of volunteers, known as ``Machal'', who contributed unselfishly 
to help ensure the birth of the State of Israel.
                                 <all>
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