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America's Jerusalem Embassy: On the Right Side of History
(Israel Hayom) David M. Friedman - On May 14, 2018, the United States finally opened its embassy in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem. This historic step fulfilled a 23-year-old mandate from the U.S. Congress and recognized a 3,000-year-old truth that Israel's enemies sought to erase. America has long been fascinated by Jerusalem. In 1844, Warder Cresson, the first consul general, announced that the U.S. was extending its protection to the Jews of Jerusalem. The first permanent consular presence opened just inside the Jaffa Gate in 1857, and diplomatic presence has remained constant in and around the Old City ever since. President Abraham Lincoln told his wife how he longed to visit Jerusalem. And President Ulysses Grant and Mark Twain both visited Jerusalem in the mid-19th century and wrote extensively about their experiences. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has now been open a full year. More than 100 American diplomats come to work every day, working hand-in-hand with Israelis and Palestinians. The Jerusalem embassy has been advancing peaceful coexistence, bilateral cooperation, and cultural exchange between and among Israelis, Palestinians and Americans. Most of all, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem stands for the truth - the bedrock of all successful policies. Moving our embassy places the United States firmly on the right side of history. The writer is the U.S. ambassador to Israel.