Israeli leaders are celebrating the third anniversary of the recognition of Jerusalem as its capital by the Trump Administration.
“President Trump, exactly three years ago, you became the first world leader to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a ceremony before the weekly cabinet meeting.
In the ceremony attended by U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, Netanyahu announced that the proclamation would be displayed alongside President Harry Truman’s 1948 proclamation recognizing the newly established State of Israel.
“These two historic proclamations will never be forgotten,” he said. “They will never be forgotten by the Jewish people and by the Jewish state. They will be cherished for generations.”
Netanyahu then noted other positive moves made by Trump on Israel’s behalf.
“You recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights,” he said. “You recognized Israel’s legitimate rights in Judea and Samaria. You proposed a realistic peace plan that acknowledges those rights and maintains Israel’s ability to defend itself. You forged the historic Abraham Accords, which ushered in a new period of peace that is dramatically changing the face of the Middle East before our very eyes.”
Friedman joined Netanyahu in praising the move.
“In recognizing Jerusalem, President Trump also did something else,” he said. “He sent a clear message to the world that the United States stands unflinchingly with its allies and that the United States bases its foreign policy on the truth, not on wishful thinking or on fantasy.”
Netanyahu noted that Jews around the world will celebrate Hanukkah starting this week. The holiday marks the Jewish Maccabean victory over their Greek-Syrian oppressors 2,000 years ago.
“Thanks to you, Mr. President, we, the descendants of the Maccabees, can celebrate that that alliance between the reborn Jewish State and the most powerful country on earth, is stronger than ever,” he said. And we celebrate the fact that the American flag flies high atop the new American embassy that you, President Trump, moved to our glorious eternal capital, Jerusalem.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
