Amb. Friedman hails ‘historic’ US Independence Day celebration in Jerusalem

“America has no greater ally than Israel,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the 4th of July celebration.

By World Israel News Staff 

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “next year in Jerusalem” came true on Tuesday night, when the U.S. Embassy, which moved to Jerusalem in May 2018, held its annual U.S. Independence Day celebration in the Israeli capital for the first time.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman called it a “historic gathering.”

“America’s spiritual beginning, its bedrock foundational principles, its understanding of the God-given rights of every human being – that beginning occurred with, in the words of Isaiah, ‘the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,’” the ambassador told the audience, adding “that’s why it is so incredibly special to celebrate with you this evening the signing of the Declaration of Independence for the first time from the city of Jerusalem.”

Among those in attendance were members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from both the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as Israeli dignitaries.

“Israel has no better and greater ally than the United States,” said Netanyahu in his speech, and “America has no greater ally than Israel,” he added, citing intelligence sharing and operational military cooperation as leading examples.

He said that the U.S. support for Israel is bipartisan and “should remain bipartisan,” an apparent reference to greater tensions which have existed in recent years between various Democrats, including 2020 presidential candidates, and the Jewish State.

The prime minister praised U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Thank you, President Trump. Thank you for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, thank you for moving the U.S. Embassy there, thank you for recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, thank you for unequivocally backing Israel’s right of self-defense and help give us the tool to do the job of defending ourselves by ourselves, and thank you for unequivocally backing Israel in the United Nations and in other forums, thank you for withdrawing from the dangerous Iran nuclear deal and restoring sanctions against Iran,” declared Netanyahu to thunderous applause.