Whereas May 14, 2018, marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel; Whereas May 11, 2018, marks the 69th anniversary of Israel’s membership in the United Nations; Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the United States was the first country to grant recognition to the State of Israel; Whereas Israel offers invaluable contributions to the international community, including to the fields of start-up economies, entrepreneurship, cyber security, military weaponry, counter-terrorism, intelligence gathering, airport security, agriculture, water management, arid-zone farming, medical advances, natural gas, and other technologies; Whereas, in 2000, with the support of the United States Government, Israel was accepted into the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) at the United Nations headquarters in New York, and its membership became permanent in 2004; Whereas, in 2013, Israel also became a member of WEOG at the United Nations bodies in Geneva; Whereas WEOG membership made possible the election for 2016–17 of Israel’s Ambassador as the chair of the Sixth (Legal) Committee of the General Assembly, and in 2017, Israel’s election to the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women); Whereas, in May 2017, Israel was elected as one of the Vice-Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly; Whereas robust bilateral ties with Israel maximize security, economic, and cultural benefits in the region, increase regional stability, and build confidence with respect to peace negotiations; Whereas Israel maintains diplomatic relations with 158 nations and retains 79 resident embassies, 22 consulates general, and 6 special missions globally; Whereas Israel maintains free trade agreements with the United States, members of the European Union, members of the European Free Trade Association, Canada, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, Bulgaria, and Jordan