Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have a privilege and honor to welcome today in Jerusalem one of the greatest friends of Israel and of this Holy city, an outstanding leader of the great American nation, chairman of the Senate's East Asia and Pacific affairs subcommittee, chairman of the Science, Technology and Space subcommittee, Senator Sam Brownback.

Recently Senator Brownback honored us by accepting the co-Presidency of the Jerusalem Summit, an international forum of Israel's allies, whose slogan is Building Peace on Truth.

For me this slogan perfectly describes Senator Brownback's public service.

Standing for Truth is at the core of all his efforts in the multitude of issues he is involved in as a chairman of several highly important subcommittees.

His voice of moral clarity is heard and appreciated by millions of people: from his home state of Kansas to Washington DC, from Iran, in support of whose dissidents Senator raised his voice on the Congressional floor, to Sudan, whose forgotten genocide Senator recently put on a global agenda by introducing a legislation calling for immediate action there.

But I don't think that anywhere else does his voice have the resonance as it does here in Jerusalem.

Senator Brownback called for hearings on the Oslo Accords.

Senator Brownback introduced a resolution expressing Congressional opposition to the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state.

Senator Brownback repeatedly called upon the Clinton Administration and the current Administration to recognize Jerusalem as the rightful capital of Israel.

Senator Brownback drafted the Jerusalem Resolution that would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem three months prior to the establishment of any Palestinian State and declare that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel.

After the outbreak of the last intifada that we in Israel call "the Oslo war", Senator Brownback asked President Bush to reassess US relations with the Palestinians.

These are just a few examples from many, many efforts made by Senator Brownback on behalf of the state of Israel and its capital Jerusalem.

In appreciation of his tireless efforts, we would like to present the Senator with a modest gift: a shofar.

But before that, just a couple of words about the symbolism of the shofar.
As you know, Mr. Senator, this is a ritual ram's horn which is blown on Rosh ha-Shana, a Jewish New Year. The sound of Shofar calls on people to wake up from their spiritual slumber, to repent and to return to the ways of Truth.

That's what your voice is doing in public life, especially regarding the issue of Israel: it calls to repent for the lies and crimes committed against it and to recognize the Truth of the Bible and the Truth of the restored Jewish state.

There is another meaning of Shofar. Besides the Rosh ha-Shana, the shofar was used by ancient Israelites to call the men for battle. Your voice is doing just that: it calls on the United States and on all the people of moral clarity to wake up and to face the battle against the new global threat: terrorism of the militant Islam.

Dear Senator: may your voice be heard around the globe for many, many years, and may it always sound the clearest in undivided Jerusalem, a city that loves you and welcomes you as its own.

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