A Great Day In Jerusalem [Updated]

Today the U.S. opened our new embassy in Jerusalem. It is about time: for quite a few years, Congress has resolved that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, but one president after another has deferred recognizing that reality, bowing, apparently, to the international consensus that every country on Earth except Israel has the right to designate its capital. I wrote here:

The location of Israel’s capital is a question of fact, not opinion, and it is up to Israel. The Arabs may not like it, but Jerusalem is Israel’s capital: the Knesset is in Jerusalem, the Supreme Court is in Jerusalem, the Prime Minister’s office and official residence are in Jerusalem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and most other government offices are in Jerusalem. To deny that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel is as silly as denying that Paris is the capital of France.

All credit to President Trump for making good, once again, on his campaign promises. Prime Minister Netanyahu was almost giddy at today’s ceremony:

“What a glorious day,” Netanyahu told the crowd at the new embassy building in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona. “Remember this moment, this is history. President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history.”

“Today, the embassy of the most powerful country on earth, our friend and ally, the United States of America, opens in Jerusalem,” he exclaimed.

“We have no better friends in the world,” Netanyahu told the American guests.

Addressing Kushner and Ivanka Trump, he said, “Your presence here today is a testament to the importance of this occasion,” and thanked them for their “pursuit of peace.”

Ivanka standing next to the plaque on the embassy wall:

It was a great day, a festive day, a day when reality triumphed–at least for the moment–over the ugly cloud of anti-Semitism that insists Israel must not be treated like every other nation.

Hamas tried to mar the occasion by inciting some of its benighted followers to a suicidal charge against the Israeli border. Inevitably, some of them were killed. Death follows Hamas like a bad smell. But the terrorists’ futile gestures did nothing to diminish the historic events that took place in Jerusalem.

UPDATE: One more thing. Note that the plaque says, “Jerusalem, Israel.” Well, yeah. But that too is a step forward, when compared with Trump’s pusillanimous predecessor:

Earlier today, the White House released a transcript of President Obama’s remarks at the memorial service for Shimon Peres, which took place at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem. Later, the White House sent out a “corrected” transcript that struck out the word “Israel” after “Jerusalem.”

Here is the Obama White House’s “correction.” The word “Israel” is struck out of the dateline:

Then there is the whole passport controversy, as our State Department refuses to recognize Jerusalem as a part of Israel. As in so many other areas, the swamp will resist the President as long as it can.

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