Memorial Day and Independence Day. Grief and joy. Sadness and rebirth. To an outsider, the sudden transition from mourning to celebration can seem jarring. It was to me when I first experienced it in 1987, as a student living with an Israeli family. Their oldest son, today a senior police officer, was just entering the army. I learned first-hand about the anxiety of a family that sends their loved ones into danger -- all five of their children went on to serve in combat units -- and the pride in all that has been built through the Israeli people's sacrifice. This moving combination connects the State of Israel and its citizens.
America is inspired by Israel's achievements and knows Israel's losses. Sixty-six years ago, when Israel declared its independence, it was besieged by seven armies, and had to fight for its very existence. Since that time, even as 23,169 Israelis have fallen in the defense of their country, Israel has thrived and flourished in economics, security, culture, and science. From the moment the United States was the first country to recognize Israel's independence, America has shared in Israel's pains and losses, as well as her triumphs and successes.
Americans fell in our own struggle for independence two centuries ago, and more recently in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the terror attacks of September 11. Our own memorial ceremonies tell the story of our losses, each one a wound that doesn't heal. But Americans, like Israelis, mourn what we have lost, and celebrate what we have achieved.
Through pain and triumph, the close and special ties between the United States and Israel have grown more intimate. In the realm of security, our soldiers train together and learn from each other, as they will in a major exercise this month. We jointly develop military hardware, from missile defense to avionics. The Iron Dome batteries that protect Israeli cities, and the F-35s and V-22s that the Israeli Air Force is acquiring, are the newest generation of this cooperation. Behind the scenes, our intelligence professionals work to protect our citizens and thwart terrorists and extremists. Our political and military leaders visit each other frequently, and are in daily contact.
In recent years, our deepening economic ties have strengthened us and made us more secure. In cybersecurity, natural gas, and biomedicine, our governments and private sectors work closely together to our mutual benefit. In March, I joined Prime Minister Netanyahu for his visit to Silicon Valley, where he and Governor Brown of California signed an agreement to intensify cooperation in science and technology. Trade delegations and companies from many of America's 50 states are streaming here to expand commercial opportunities with Israel. Next month a delegation of senior U.S. government officials and business leaders will visit Israel for a full week dedicated to finding new ways to expand our economic partnership.
All of these successes will be more enduring with the achievement of an end to the conflict with the Palestinians through a two-state solution. As President Barack Obama said while visiting Israel last year, the United States believes firmly that "peace is possible," and it is essential to ensure Israel's future as a secure, Jewish, democratic state. The United States will continue to offer constructive approaches to bring the parties together and will encourage them to reach political compromises for the good of their people.
As Israelis mourn, Americans stand with you. And when Israelis celebrate 66 years of independence tomorrow, we will share in your joy. We are bound together as allies with shared interests, but even more so, by the values of independent, open, and thriving democracies. In President Obama's words: "Our alliance is eternal, it is forever -- lanetzach."
As we mark Memorial Day and celebrate Independence Day, we hope for a future with Israel and its neighbors living side-by-side in peace and security, commemorating those who died, without adding more loved ones to their memorials.
Dan Shapiro is the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
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