Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dedicated a display to President Donald Trump in Israel’s Cabinet meeting room on Sunday, in honor of the third anniversary of Trump’s historic decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
The plaque hangs alongside a similar one, dedicated to the only other U.S. president to receive that honor — namely, President Harry S. Truman, who recognized Israel immediately upon its declaration of independence on May 14, 1948.
In a speech, Netanyahu said:
President Trump, Donald, exactly three years ago, you became the first world leader to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Here is the proclamation you made that day.
It will now be prominently displayed on the wall of Israel’s cabinet room here in Jerusalem. It will be displayed alongside President Harry S. Truman’s 1948 proclamation recognizing the newly established State of Israel.
These two historic proclamations will never be forgotten. They will never be forgotten by the Jewish people and by the Jewish state. They will be cherished for generations.
But Mr. President, that was only one of the many historic decisions that you have made during your presidency.
You recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. 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, and rather than appease those who chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in Tehran, you withdrew from the dangerous Iran nuclear deal, placed crippling sanctions on Iran and took out the world’s most dangerous terrorist, Qassem Soleimani.
That is why, Mr. President, as we mark today three years since your historic proclamation, we in Israel are deeply grateful for all you have done for Jerusalem, for Israel, for bringing peace and for bringing the US-Israel alliance to unprecedented heights.
This week, Jews across the world will celebrate Chanukah. We remember how over 2,000 years ago the brave Maccabees confronted a mighty empire that oppressed our people and sought to eradicate our faith. Against all odds, the Maccabees won a miraculous victory, reestablished an independent state and rededicated our Temple in Jerusalem.
This year we will once again light the Chanukah candles in a united Jerusalem right next to the Western Wall.
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. And we celebrate the fact that the American flag flies high atop the new American embassy that you, Mr. President, moved to our glorious eternal capital – Jerusalem.
For all this and more, thank you, President Trump.
God bless Israel and God bless America.
Israel has also named a town after President Trump, honoring his decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His newest e-book is Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.