(VOA News) Robert Berger - President Trump became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, the last remnant of the biblical Temple and Judaism's holiest site. Other presidents have stayed away because the U.S. does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem's Old City. Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., says Trump's stop at the Western Wall sends a powerful signal to the Palestinians, who deny Jewish biblical and historical ties to Jerusalem. "By going there, he's the president, which shows very, very clearly his respect and acknowledgement for the connection of the Jewish people with its land and with its capital," Shoval said. "All the different messages made by President Trump are not only something heartwarming to Israelis, but it's a clear message to the Palestinians: Be serious about making peace and don't delude yourselves that the U.S. is not Israel's ally and will look the other way."
2017-05-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive