[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 14225] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]LIEL MAGHEN ______ HON. DONALD M. PAYNE of new jersey in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 27, 2010 Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend Liel Maghen, one of my 2010 summer interns in the New Story Leadership Program. The New Story Leadership Program, hosts interns from Israel and Palestine, to Washington, DC every year. As a requirement of the program a Congressional Forum is held, and in my attendance on July 20, 2010 Liel Maghen gave a remarkable speech. His story is very inspirational and it gives a clear perspective of his culture and obstacles he overcame. At this time, I present to you his speech: ``I am Liel Maghen and I am your Master of Ceremony for this morning's event. The Middle East story receives high media coverage and public attention. It is a story of a conflict between two people over the same land and it is a story of terror, occupation, and suffering. The dimensions of this story combine religion, economy, cultural differences and racism in a complex history of hatred, and present reality of mistrust, that seems far from being solved. However, the small particles of this conflict are the personal stories of people that live in that region. And like looking at atoms of a human body, these stories reveal different perceptions and demonstrate how these separate particles are connected together in one body that is called the Middle East. My story starts with my heritage. But before I will begin, let me note that today is ``Tisha Beav''. It is a day of grief for the Jewish people that commemorate the destruction of both great temples in Jerusalem. According to the religious scriptures, which refer to these temples as Houses, these temples were destroyed as god's punishment for corruption, moral degradation, and false hatred. I believe that we, the Jewish people who are gathered here today, came here in order to prevent the collapse of our third House the Israeli state. I was born in the state of Israel to an Italian mother and Libyan father, who decided, as true Zionists, to leave their families and home in order to move to the Jewish state. My mother is a daughter of two Holocaust survivors and my father himself suffered persecution in his Arab homeland throughout his childhood. Therefore, my education, which was traditional Jewish, emphasized the importance of a Jewish state and the need of the Jewish people to defend themselves in order to prevent a second Holocaust. My education was also affected by the political activism of my parents, who were members of the Halikud right wing party. When I grew up, especially in the time of the second Intifada, I adopted my parents' perspective as my own and believed that the Jewish people are in danger, and that there is no chance for peace. Thus, I was eager to serve my country in a combat unit and to be a representative of my people and history through my army service. This concept of service has a major role in Israeli society and education. And eventually, this service would be the reason for a big change in my perception, a change that occurred because of a friend. This friend was Johan Zarbib. I met him in the first week of basic training. We were together in the same unit and partners in the same squad. He, as a foreigner who was born in France, decided to immigrate to Israel for the same reasons as my parents. He told me, that after suffering modern anti Semitism in his homeland, he understood the importance of the Jewish country and wanted to join the army and contribute his share for the sake of the Jewish people. I, on the other hand, made a personal and difficult decision to change units. I decided to complete my military service by transferring to an education unit, where I could contribute in a different way. In the last day of the war of Lebanon, in 2006, after the cease-fire was signed but before it was fully implemented, I was shocked to hear that Johan was killed. The day after, in his funeral, I saw that many other friends from our unit were injured in the same battle. Looking at them and thinking about Johan, made me re examine these values of contribution and service. I have asked myself if serving in the army is the only way to contribute to my society or maybe was there another option. My conclusion was that it is our responsibility, as people who suffer from the war, to make an effort for achieving peace. Or as Mahatma Gandhi has said: ``you must be the change that you wish to see in the world''. Since then, I have participated in different co-existence programs. Although these experiences are difficult and confront sensitive issues, I have come to understand through them, that both sides suffer from this conflict and that only personal connection between people can create a bridge beyond the walls of separation and fear. I have also come to understand that maybe we don't agree on the details of the solution, but we can agree on the process of finding one, process that requires communication, compromise, and reconciliation. And Finally, Here in Washington, I have had a great opportunity to take this understanding one step further. Thank to Congressman Payne and his inspirational staff I have learned about the political process and how it can make a major impact in people's life. Furthermore, being a part of a group of Israeli and Palestinian activists through the New Story Leadership Program teaches me that many people from both sides are basically on the same side, the side that wants peace. This future is reachable, and we should join together, Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans, in order to make this future closer to the present.'' Thank you very much, Shalom, Peace and Salam Aleikum Madam Speaker, I call upon my colleagues in joining me congratulating Liel Maghen and wishing him all the best. He is truly an inspiration to all that know him. ____________________