In May 2017, three days after taking office as United States Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman received a phone call from the US Department of State. Friedman was told he was not allowed to attend the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.
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"Why not?" asked the newly appointed ambassador. "Because that is how it's always been done – no American ambassador has ever attended these ceremonies. It upsets the Palestinians," the official from Washington replied.
"My father cried when Jerusalem was united. Since then, the city has only prospered and has become the focal point for three religions, and the Western Wall was transformed from a landfill into a sacred religious site. What is the problem with me attending the ceremony?!" Friedman said indignantly.
"That is how it's always been done," was the reply.
The newly appointed ambassador did not like the answer. "Write down this phone number," he told the man on the line. "That is President Donald Trump's personal number. Call him. If he tells me not to go, then I won't go."
The representative had nothing to answer, and the rest is history.
The story of the Trump administration is unconventional, and not just because of its relationship with Israel. The most outstanding characteristic of this administration is that they weren't politicians. They were outsiders who came to run the world's most important political system.
As such, they did not feel obligated to do things "the way they've always been done," including in the media and when it came to political correctness. Instead, they were free to test or even dismantle the system from the down up, together with the accepted norms and the "common wisdom," which in the Israeli context was one big lie.
From then on, the administration did that which was right and logical, not that which stemmed from old and stuck political perceptions. Israel has never experienced such a thing before.
For example, why would anyone deny Israel sovereignty over the Golan Heights when they have ruled over the region for 50 years, protected its Druze people, and is an American ally who fights against Iran? Whereas when Syria ruled the Golan Heights for 19 years, it attacked Israel twice, and is now gearing up to massacre Israelis, and is allowing Iran to establish a foothold in the country. This is not politics.
Recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the region is common sense, and it is that common sense that has led to pro-Israel decisions in the Trump administration for four years.
However, this fresh perspective turned out to be not only pro-Israel but also pro-Middle East. For decades politicians and experts said that the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the legitimization of settlements would lead to a war in the Middle East. The Trump administration did both of these, and it refuted the false "Palestinian refugees" narrative and had a steadfast determination to stand up to Iran, and none of these things led to a war in the region. On the contrary, these events only brought peace.
True, there is no way to justify the violence on Capitol Hill. But Trump's achievements regarding Israel, but not only, are engraved in history, despite those who try and erase his legacy and forget all he has done for us, who also claimed, by the way, that Trump would at some point "turn on Israel."
The truth of the matter is that for Israel, Trump has been by far the most favorable president in history, and I doubt anyone will ever come close. For this, Mr. President, the Jewish people will never cease to thank you.
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