We, a coalition of people from all districts of the Hawaiian Islands, stand unified with a steadfast commitment to Israel; in so doing, we proclaim and secure God’s blessing on our land, and agree:
Whereas, the Jewish people have a history of friendship in Hawaii since 1798, contributing to the protection, development, economic, and political life of the Hawaiian Islands; and
Whereas, Queen Lili’uokalani appointed Paul Neumann the first Jewish diplomat in the Hawaiian Kingdom to be her personal attorney after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893. In Washington D.C., he protested the overthrow and pleaded for the restoration of the monarchy; and
Whereas, King David Kalakaua spiritually encouraged by a Jewish friend, Elias Abraham Rosenberg. Mr. Rosenberg presented the Royal Family with their first Torah Scroll in 1886. Henceforth, Queen Lili’uokalani, Kalakaua’s successor, passed it down to Queen Kapiolani, then onto the Kawananakoa family, descendants of Kaumualii, King of Kauai. Since then, the Torah Scroll has been preserved as a royal treasure in a Jewish Synagogue in the Hawaiian Islands; and
Whereas, three of the last four attorney–generals of Hawaii, since 2005 were Jewish. One of them, Linda Lingle, the first female governor in U.S. history was elected by Hawaii’s popular vote in 2002. She visited Israel and signed a memorandum of understanding between the state of Hawaii and Israel to encourage cooperation concerning agriculture and aquaculture research and development. They all contributed to Hawaii’s development, and to its best interest; and
Whereas, commitment to Israel’s security has been a cornerstone of U.S. policy in the Middle East since Israel’s creation on May 14, 1948. While visiting Israel in January 2012, the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye recognized the strategic importance of Israel and said, “our position is that if you attack Israel, you are attacking the United States.”; and
Whereas, the Jewish People are Israel’s indigenous people and have faced similar historic challenges as the Hawaiian people to its territorial integrity and survival, some of which are still ongoing today; and
Whereas, the State of Israel voted in support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s in the Sixty–First Session of the U.N. General Assembly held in New York City, Sept 13th, 2007. Article 10 of the Declaration states, “that Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories”; and
Whereas, the State of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, offers freedom and hope for all citizens, regardless of race, religion, gender or creed, and is the greatest friend and ally of the United States. Israel stands on the forefront in the battle against terrorism; and
Whereas, Israel, as a sovereign state recognized by the United Nations has the right to self-governance and to defend itself against attacks from surrounding nations that do not recognize Israel’s right to exist; and
Whereas, the land of Israel is the birthplace of the Jewish people, who have a natural and historical right to the land of Israel as ordained by the eternal God, Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 17:7); and
Whereas, the Jewish people remain God’s covenant people and the land of Israel is still God’s covenant land for them and God has in no way abrogated His covenant with the Jewish people or the nation of Israel (Genesis 17:19): and
Now Therefore, we the people of Hawaii, stand united with the nation of Israel, extending our unequivocal support and commitment to the security, welfare, and survival of the Jewish State.
Be It Further Resolved, we align ourselves with God’s plan and purpose, and petition the State leaders to continue the relationship that our Kings and Queens, and State Legislators established with the Jewish supporters in Hawaii.
August 7, 2103
Nowlin Correa
Kaatee Bailey
