President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke over the phone on Friday, with the United States and Israeli leaders agreeing to meet in the U.S. soon.
Netanyahu, who initiated the call, congratulated Trump on America’s 250th anniversary, saying the U.S. ensures the freedom of the world, “and Israel greatly appreciates the tight bond between the nations.”
The conversation between the Heads of State came on the heels of this week’s allocation of the land for the construction of the permanent compound of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
The signing ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar, and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.
Huckabee highlighted the significance of the event, which coincides with America at 250: “The Judeo-Christian values that inspired America’s founding fathers come from Jerusalem and throughout the land of Israel.”
The diplomat said the U.S decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move its Embassy there was rooted in implementing U.S. law and in respect of the Jewish people’s historic connection to Jerusalem.
Sa’ar declared that President Trump’s resolution to relocate the U.S. Consulate to Jerusalem was an act of justice, adding that the U.S.-Israel relations are indispensable and irreplaceable.
“This agreement is about far more than the allocation of land,” the minister noted. “It is a recognition of history and a declaration of our shared future.”
The transition of the U.S. Mission’s current premises to its new home in Jerusalem is in line with the diplomatic process initiated by President Trump in December 2017.
