Israel is “deeply grateful” for US President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as its capital, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, the third anniversary of that proclamation.Netanyahu and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman hung a copy of the proclamation in the Prime Minister’s Office, next to former US president Harry Truman’s 1948 recognition of the nascent State of Israel.“These two historic proclamations will never be forgotten by the Jewish people and the Jewish state. They will be cherished for generations,” Netanyahu said. “We are deeply grateful for all you did for Jerusalem and Israel, bringing peace and taking the US-Israel alliance to unprecedented heights.”Netanyahu further thanked Trump for recognizing both Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria are not illegal per se, as well as for Trump's peace plan that Netanyahu said is “realistic… acknowledged those rights [in the West Bank] and maintains Israel’s ability to defend itself.”The prime minister also commended Trump’s work in bringing about the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, which he said “ushered in a period of peace in the Middle East, which is dramatically changing.”In addition, Netanyahu praised Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran.Friedman said that Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “sent a clear message to the world that the US stands unflinchingly with its allies and bases its foreign policy on the truth, not on wishful thinking or on fantasy.“That message has reverberated throughout this region and has made the world a safer place,” he added.Friedman tied the Jerusalem policy to the Abraham Accords, saying that “the president deserves enormous credit for this bold, decisive action.”Defense Minister Benny Gantz also thanked Trump, saying: "We are very grateful for the support, and are naturally looking forward to working with the new administration as well."Gantz also expressed his appreciation for Friedman's work.Since the US announced its recognition of Jerusalem three years ago, only the American and Guatemalan embassies have moved to the capital. Several other countries have said they would move their embassies, but none have followed through.
