Netanyahu, Knesset Honor Outgoing US Ambassador David Friedman

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the Knesset bid farewell to outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman during a Cabinet meeting. Friedman had been appointed by President Trump for his several achievements with respect to US-Israels rewarding diplomatic relations.
“Today, we are taking our leave from U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman,” said Netanyahu. “I must say that over the years, I have met many ambassadors from many countries, including from the U.S., our great ally, but I can say that there was never a better ambassador than David Friedman in establishing the deep ties between Israel and the U.S.; in correcting the diplomatic injustices that were created over the years in global diplomacy regarding Israel, and in establishing the status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and many other things some of which have yet to be told.”

“Moreover, you also changed the definition of Judea and Samaria from occupied territories to disputed territories and this is exactly the precise definition until it was twisted by elements hostile to Israel and hostile to truth,” stated Netanyahu.
The prime minister also acknowledged Friedman’s role in “planning and formulating the Trump plan, which is the first serious plan for achieving a realistic peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Lastly, Netanyahu thanked Friedman for his team’s efforts in expanding the “circle of peace” in order “to reach peace with countries in the Arab world and the four peace agreements we made over the last four months as well as those that will come afterward,” referring to the Abraham Accords. “This was a great effort that is good for U.S. relations, good for Israel, and good for peace. For all these David, thank you very much.”

Meanwhile, Zvi Hauser, chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, thanked Friedman for his “extraordinary contribution to strengthening the ties between the United States and the State of Israel.”
Hauser said Friedman was given the task of “fulfilling the dreams of all of us, changing historical distortions, and actually realizing the traditional position of the United States and its historical vision that the capital of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel is Jerusalem.”
In response to the honors, Friedman thanked the Knesset committee, saying his three-and-a-half years in Jerusalem “flew by like a flash”—a testament “to how exciting, riveting and enjoyable the job was.”