Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., February 14, 2008 Adar1 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 16:49 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Representative Tom Lantos. (Archives) Last update - 23:03 12/02/2008 FM to attend Lantos memorial service in Washington, may meet Rice By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press Tags: U.S., Tom Lantos, Holocaust  WASHINGTON - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will attend a memorial service in Washington for U.S. Representative Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to win a seat in the United States Congress, who died on Tuesday at the age of 80. As a teenager, Lantos twice escaped from a Nazi-run forced labor camp in Hungary. A statement released by his office said Lantos, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, died early Monday, "surrounded by his wife, Annette, two daughters, and many of his 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren." Advertisement In a statement issued Monday by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, the ministry expressed "its deep sorrow over the passing of U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos. "Lantos was one of the leaders in advancing Israel-U.S. relations in the U.S. Congress. Space does not permit the listing of all of his initiatives and actions on this issue during his long years of public service. Love of Israel, a commitment to advancing human rights and enshrining the memory of the Holocaust were the principal causes to which Tom Lantos dedicated his public and political activity over the years," the statement said. Livni said on Tuesday that the State of Israel owes a great debt to Lantos, who made the advancement of Israel-U.S. relations and activity on behalf of the Jewish People his life?s work. "From Jerusalem, the State of Israel sends its sincerest condolences to the family of Tom Lantos, may his memory be blessed," she said. The foreign minister will be accompanied at the memorial by senior diplomats at the embassy in Washington including the current ambassador, Sallai Meridor, and his predecessor, Danny Ayalon. While in Washington for the memorial service, Livni may also meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Lantos' widow says husband's life 'defined by courage, dedication' Annette Lantos said in the statement that her husband's life was "defined by courage, optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family." The date for a public memorial service has not yet been set. White House press secretary Dana Perino announced the news of Lantos' death to reporters at a briefing and flags were lowered to half-staff at the White House and U.S. Capitol building. Lantos, a Democrat, disclosed last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He said at the time that he would serve out his 14th term but would not seek re-election in his northern California district, which includes part of San Francisco. "It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress," Lantos said at the time, according to a statemnt released by his office. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country." The timing of the diagnosis was a particular blow because Lantos had assumed his committee chairmanship just a year earlier, when Democrats retook control of Congress. He said then that in a sense his whole life had been a preparation for the job - and it was. Lantos, who referred to himself as an American by choice, was born to Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary, and was 16 when Adolf Hitler occupied Hungary in 1944. He survived by escaping twice from a forced labor camp and coming under the protection of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who used his official status and visa-issuing powers to save thousands of Hungarian Jews. Lantos' mother and much of his family perished in the Holocaust. That background gave Lantos a moral authority unique in Congress and he used it repeatedly to speak out on foreign policy issues, sometimes courting controversy. He was a strong supporter of Israel and a lead advocate for the 2002 congressional resolution authorizing the Iraq war, though he would come to be a strong critic of the Bush administration's strategy. In 2006 Lantos was one of five members of Congress arrested in a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy over the genocide in Darfur. Lantos, who was elected to the House in 1980, founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983. In early 2004 he led the first congressional delegation to Libya in more than 30 years, meeting personally with Moammar Gadhafi and urging the Bush administration to show good faith to the North African leader in his pledge to abandon his nuclear weapons programs. Later that year President George W. Bush lifted sanctions on Libya. In October 2007, as Foreign Affairs chairman, Lantos defied Bush administration opposition by moving through his committee a measure that would recognize the World War I-era killings of Armenians as a genocide, something strongly opposed by Turkey. Related articles: U.S. Rep. Lantos, only Holocaust survivor in Congress, to retire Lantos: Premature roadblocks removal may spark terror attacks Lantos: Withhold aid to Lebanon until troops secure border More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   What's up, doc? Hamas airs television show featuring 'Jew-eating' Bugs Bunny look-alike. Gaza Trip Livni takes 70 ambassadors on a visit to the Gaza Strip as part of diplomatic campaign.   1.   Lantos down Obama up 17:19  |  American Sandwich 11/02/08   2.   Lantos 17:33  |  joe 11/02/08   3.   Obama has nothing to do with the death of a good man 17:35  |  r 11/02/08   4.   Obama 17:37  |  leon 11/02/08   5.   Lantos 17:48  |  Shmuelshachor 11/02/08   6.   Lantos` legacy 17:50  |  John 11/02/08   7.   Lantos was a good man...Great? 17:53  |  Come on 11/02/08   8.   73, Tom Lantos was a great man 18:27  |  Judah 11/02/08   9.   A warmonger during his political life, 18:49  |  Moise 11/02/08   10.   humane side of Lantos 19:00  |  fahim 11/02/08   11.   He served the interest of Israel 19:04  |  Thomas 11/02/08   12.   #1 19:07  |  Yariv 11/02/08   13.   tom lantos 19:18  |  jehiel chaleff 11/02/08   14.   Tom Lantos 19:37  |  Mike 11/02/08   15.   oBama Stands for NOTHING! 19:46  |  Avram 11/02/08   16.   The US is not the only country where survivors of WW II 20:05  |  Kris 11/02/08   17.   Can anyone tell me- 20:23  |  curious 11/02/08   18.   Yariv - We know what clinton will do..more of the same 21:00  |  American Sandwich 11/02/08   19.   R and Tom Lantos 21:03  |  An Arab American 11/02/08   20.   Curious - Here is you answer 21:06  |  American Sandwich 11/02/08   21.   Lantos, the Human 21:06  |  Mohamed 11/02/08   22.   John # 6 21:12  |  Rich 11/02/08   23.   # 9 Moise 21:15  |  Jamila 11/02/08   24.   Bruno Kreisky 21:20  |  Joerg 11/02/08   25.   Obama, Where is the beef....? 21:24  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 11/02/08   26.   Why are you people talking about Obama? 21:29  |  Moise 11/02/08   27.   Leon - here watch Obama give details 21:43  |  Candida 11/02/08   28.   Lantos was an anti-American trouble maker 21:43  |  Natallie Durson 11/02/08   29.   Kinda like you Nat? 22:08  |  Avram 11/02/08   30.   Is this the same guy who loved Bush for attacking Iraq 22:14  |  omoll 11/02/08   31.   Natallie Durson - You`re a despicable person with 22:21  |  m 11/02/08   32.   #26 "You People" 22:30  |  Jehiel Chaleff 11/02/08   33.   #18 22:31  |  Yariv 11/02/08   34.   His Mormon Children & Grandchildren? 23:02  |  Rock 11/02/08   35.   Rich #22 23:46  |  John 11/02/08   36.   20 American sandwich. 00:20  |  curious 12/02/08   37.   FORGET POLITIC 00:31  |  TOBIA 12/02/08   38.   Baruch Dayan HaEmet 00:42  |  Joe 12/02/08   39.   Rest in Peace Israel policies will miss you 01:40  |  pal 12/02/08   40.   anti-semites on the board stop disguising yrselves as anti-zionis 02:50  |  yonatan 12/02/08   41.   I didn`t always agree 04:27  |  Mark Lincoln 12/02/08   42.   Lantos.An Israeli agent planted in the U.S.Congress 06:36  |  Al 12/02/08   43.   A great man and hero to Jews everywhere 09:33  |  E Hunt 12/02/08   44.   Joe #38 10:02  |  sh 12/02/08   45.   Blood on his hand 19:56  |  Mohammed 12/02/08   46.   Mohammed - You need serious help.... 21:09  |  nk 12/02/08   47.   Tom Lantos, z"l. 21:43  |  sandra chitayat 12/02/08   48.   John #35 21:45  |  Rich 12/02/08   49.   Mohammed 21:49  |  Real Mohammed 12/02/08   50.   Lantos 00:17  |  Miriam K. 13/02/08   51.   #31 M re Natallie Durson 00:26  |  Labhras 13/02/08   52.   Israel`s representative in the house 00:34  |  El-Birawi 13/02/08   53.   tom lantos 01:27  |  joseph 13/02/08   54.   Thank you Tom Lantos, for your Love, dedication & hard work 03:15  |  Virginia 13/02/08   55.   Good riddance 06:54  |  American in Paris 13/02/08   56.   to # 55 American in Paris dont count your 09:50  |  Steve the Pals. 13/02/08   57.   Response to Steve the Pals 14:34  |  American in Paris 13/02/08   58.   Did my eyes Disceave me?????????????????????????????????????????? 03:40  |  YECHIEL YOUR HERO 14/02/08   59.   GOOD RIDDANCE !!! 16:33  |  BALAAM 14/02/08

Today Online Israeli embassies on high alert following Mughniyah killing Responses: 43 Yossi Melman: It's not whether Hezbollah will respond, but how Responses: 43 IDF experts suggest 'surprise' roadblocks instead of checkpoints Responses: 24 Ari Shavit: The Israeli Barak is not like the American Barack Responses: 13 U.S., Israel have always busied themselves in each other's political world Responses: 7 Rosner's Domain The U.S. and Mughniyah / Not just 'who' but also 'where' Most blatant example of Israeli interference in American election How Lantos was different (WTR) Poll: Was killing Mughniyah both justified and wise? Guest: Bush is a friend very wise and courageous More Headlines 16:42 Nasrallah says ready for open war with Israel 15:33 IDF bombs Gaza buildings used for launching rockets at Israel 16:10 Ballistic expert: Israel ignoring option of U.S. anti-rocket system 15:29 Hamas leader Zahar arrives in Cairo for talks on Gaza border 16:43 Shas: We won't stay in a gov't that scrimps on Israel's children 11:23 State offers to halve settlers' personal debts to NIS 350M 09:23 Israel embassies on high alert following Mughniyah killing 12:20 IDF experts suggest 'surprise' roadblocks in place of checkpoints 08:58 Bush orders new Syria sanctions over Lebanon,