(Communicated by the Knesset Spokesperson)
US Vice President Pence addressed a special session of the Knesset today (Monday, 22 January 2018) and said “In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the embassy in Jerusalem, and that embassy will open before the end of next year.”
”Jerusalem is Israel’s capital – and, as such, President [Donald] Trump has directed the State Department to immediately begin preparations to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Vice President Pence said in his speech, which was briefly disrupted at the outset by MKs from the Joint List parliamentary group who held up protest signs in Arabic and English, reading “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.” The MKs were removed from the Knesset floor by ushers.
Vice President Pence responded to the disturbance by saying with a smile: “It is deeply humbling for me to stand before this vibrant democracy.”
He told the Knesset that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and the recognition of Jerusalem is “in the best interest of peace,” stating that “By finally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the United States has chosen fact over fiction.”
Vice President Pence said Trump is “fully committed to achieving a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” adding that “if both sides agree, the United States will support a two-state solution.”
He urged the Palestinians to return to negotiations with Israel, saying ”peace can only come through dialogue.”
”We recognize peace will require compromise,” he told the Knesset Plenum, ”but you can be confident the United States will never compromise the safety and security of the State of Israel. Any peace agreement must guarantee Israel`s ability to defend itself by itself.”
“There are those who believe the world can’t change… but my friends, President Trump doesn’t believe it, I don’t believe it, and neither do you. I stand here today in a city whose very name means peace,” said Pence.
Ahead of Israel`s 70th Independence Day, Pence recited the ”Shehecheyanu” blessing in Hebrew, which translates to: ”Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.”
“70 years ago, the United States was proud to be the first nation to recognize Israel. As you know, the work we began that day remains unfinished,” Vice President Pence said, while expressing regret that ”one American administration after another refused to recognize your capital” until President Trump`s recognition last month.
Vice President Pence also addressed the Iranian issue, saying ”I have a solemn promise from me to all of Israel: the US will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
”The Iran nuclear deal is a disaster and the United States of America will no longer certify this ill-conceived agreement,” he told the Knesset.
In a message to the Iranian people, he added: ”We are your friends and the day is coming when you will be free from the evil regime that suffocates your dreams and buries your hopes.”
“And when your day of liberation finally comes, we say to the good people of Iran, the friendship between our peoples will blossom once again.”
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