“You are a great friend who accurately reflects the strength of Israeli-U.S. relations, and to have you at the United Nations gives us a lot of hope,” said Israel’s president.
By World Israel News Staff
“It is a privilege to share in a solemn moment with the Jewish people at the Western Wall,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft during a visit to the Jewish State on Wednesday.
“During the Christmas and Chanukah season, this sacred place of prayer and pilgrimage brings me hope for a lasting peace for the people of Israel and all in the region,” she added.
Craft also toured the Western Wall Tunnels and the City of David. The rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai Eliav, accompanied her on her tour.
The ambassador also held a working meeting with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan participated in the meeting.
The president began by thanking the ambassador for her support of Israel at the United Nations, saying, “Our friendship is rooted in the values of democracy and freedom. It is a great pleasure to have you once again in Israel. You are a great friend who accurately reflects the strength of Israeli-U.S. relations, and to have you at the United Nations gives us a lot of hope that we can overcome every challenge we face.”
The president also congratulated Ambassador Gilad Erdan, saying, “I am glad that you have had the opportunity to work together. I have known him since he was very young and I know he represents the State of Israel with the requisite dedication.”
The president thanked the U.S. ambassador for her support for the State of Israel at critical junctures for its international legitimacy, adding, “Let everyone at the UN know that there is no gap between Israel as a Jewish state and as a democratic state. The burden is on us to prove that, and we do it time and again. Nobody can change our nature as a Jewish state, and nobody can change our nature as a democracy.”
Craft said, “There is no better friend of the United States than Israel. Thank you for having me today. What a special time to be in the Holy Land. We have so much hope for peace and normalization, and the momentum that will be here in 2020 is really exciting.”
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I would like to thank you, Kelly, for defending Israel in an institution that systematically discriminates against us. You are a true ally in the fight against the hypocrisy in the UN and against the threats posed by Iran, and you have joined us in building a better future in the Middle East thanks to the Abraham Accords,” Erdan said.
“Exactly four years ago, the Security Council adopted the outrageous Resolution 2334 against Israeli citizens living in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, I know that if Kelly Craft had been ambassador at that time, she would never have allowed the resolution to pass,” Erdan continued. “The connection between our countries has never been stronger and, Kelly, you will be remembered for being a part of that.