‎"What a glorious day. Remember this moment. This is ‎history. President Trump, by recognizing history, ‎you have made history. All of us are deeply moved. ‎All of us are deeply grateful. … Today, the embassy ‎of the most powerful nation on earth, our greatest ‎ally, the United States of America, today its ‎embassy opened here," Netanyahu said. ‎

‎"Last December, President Trump became the first ‎world leader to recognize Jerusalem as our capital. ‎And today, the United States of America is opening ‎its embassy right here in Jerusalem. Thank you. ‎Thank you, President Trump, for having the courage ‎to keep your promises.‎

‎"Thank you, President Trump, and thank you all, for ‎making the alliance between America and Israel ‎stronger than ever. And thank you, a special thank ‎you, to you, Ambassador Friedman. Thank you, David, ‎for everything you do to bring our countries and our ‎peoples closer together. Today, you have a special ‎privilege. You are privileged to become the first ‎American ambassador to serve your country in ‎Jerusalem, and this is a distinct honor that will be ‎yours forever. Nobody can be first again."

‎"My friends, this is a great day for Israel," the ‎prime minister continued. "It's a great day for ‎America. It's a great day for our fantastic ‎partnership. But I believe it's also a great day for ‎peace. … A peace that is built on lies will crash on ‎the rocks of Middle Eastern reality. You can only ‎build peace on truth, and the truth is that ‎Jerusalem has been and will always be the capital of ‎the Jewish people, the capital of the Jewish state. ‎Truth, peace and justice – this is what we have and ‎this is what we believe in.‎

‎"May the opening of this embassy in this city spread ‎the truth far and wide, and may the truth advance a ‎lasting peace between Israel and all our neighbors. ‎God bless the United States of America and God bless ‎Jerusalem, the eternal, undivided capital of ‎Israel," Netanyahu concluded.‎

President Rivlin also thanked Trump. "The ‎people of Israel thank you for keeping your promise, ‎for your courage and determination, for your ‎steadfast and unwavering stand by Israel's side, and ‎we hope and expect that other nations follow your lead and follow suit," he said, referring to the embassy's relocation.‎

‎"The unity of Jerusalem is reflected in the fact ‎that all life here is equal, and from this joyous ‎day, Jerusalem is also home to the U.S. Embassy in ‎Israel. ‎

‎"Every election campaign in the United States has ‎seen every presidential candidate pledge to transfer ‎the American Embassy to Jerusalem. Today, we have an ‎American leader who made this promise – and kept his ‎word," Rivlin said.

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Israeli security forces were on high alert on the ‎Gaza border Tuesday ahead of the Hamas-orchestrated ‎Nakba Day march, marking the "catastrophe" of ‎Palestinian ‎‎displacement during Israel's 1948 War of ‎‎‎Independence. ‎

Tensions in the area neared boiling point after ‎weeks of demonstrations and in the wake of deadly ‎riots that erupted on the border Monday, during the ‎high-profile opening of the U.S. Embassy in ‎Jerusalem.

The Palestinians reported 58 protesters ‎were killed and 2,700 were wounded in the ‎demonstrations, saying six minors, including one ‎girl, were among the dead.  ‎

Hamas, which boasted it could bring over 100,000 ‎people to the border on Monday, had to make due with ‎substantially lower turnout, as at the height of the ‎protest, it numbered some 40,000 Palestinians. ‎

The IDF said riots erupted at 13 points along the ‎border, where protesters torched tires and hurled ‎rocks and firebombs at the troops. The military ‎thwarted several attempts to rush the border, as ‎well as attempts to plant explosives on the ‎security fence.‎

Military drones and combat aircraft struck 11 Hamas ‎targets in Gaza and Israeli tanks shelled terror ‎hubs in the Strip's north and south in response to ‎the escalation in violence.‎

Defense officials said they expected a stronger ‎showing on the border on Tuesday, as Hamas' "March of ‎Return" campaign was designed to peak on Nakba Day. ‎The terrorist group has said that part of its plan ‎for Tuesday's protest was a mass rush of the security ‎fence, something the IDF said it would not allow. ‎

The military has deployed massive forces near ‎the ‎border, including special forces, snipers, and ‎sappers, in what has been described as the largest ‎deployment in the area since Operation Protective ‎‎Edge in 2014.‎

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for ‎the violence in Gaza.‎

‎"Every country has an obligation to defend its ‎‎borders. The Hamas terrorist ‎organization declares ‎it intends to destroy Israel ‎and sends thousands to ‎breach the border fence in ‎order to achieve this ‎goal. We will continue to act ‎with determination to ‎protect our sovereignty and ‎citizens."‎

Hamas denied instigating the violence, but the White ‎‎House backed Netanyahu.‎

‎"The responsibility for ‎these tragic deaths rests ‎squarely with Hamas. Hamas ‎is intentionally and ‎cynically provoking this ‎response," White House ‎Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told ‎reporters.‎

Senior Hamas member Khalil al-Hayya said Monday that ‎the protest was timed to coincide with the ‎‎"deplorable crime of moving the U.S. Embassy to ‎Jerusalem. Our people went out today to respond to ‎this new Zionist-American aggression, and to draw by ‎their blood the map of their return."‎

Top Palestinian official Saeb Erekat condemned the ‎Israeli military's response to the riots, saying, ‎‎"These war crimes should not go unpunished and the ‎international community has a responsibility to ‎provide international protection for the Palestinian ‎people."‎

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the United ‎States had opened an "American settlement outpost in east Jerusalem." He announced a general strike on ‎Tuesday.‎

The Pentagon confirmed it had deployed additional ‎‎U.S. Marine guards to temporarily bolster security ‎‎at several U.S. embassies after the violence, ‎‎including Israel, Jordan and Turkey.‎

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"Today, we officially open the United States Embassy in Jerusalem. Congratulations. It's been a long time coming," Trump said.

"Almost immediately after declaring statehood in 1948, Israel designated the city of Jerusalem as its capital," Trump said. "The capital the Jewish people established in ancient times. So important.

"Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital," Trump said, but "for many years, we failed to acknowledge the obvious: the plain reality that Israel's capital is Jerusalem. On Dec. 6, 2017, at my direction, the U.S. finally and officially recognized Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel.

"This city and its entire nation is a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people," he said. "The U.S. will always be a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace," Trump concluded.

"President Trump, by recognizing history you have made history," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the ceremony. "Thank you, President Trump, for having the courage to keep your promises. Thank you, President Trump, and thank you all for making the alliance between American and Israel stronger than ever."

Although he also did not attend the ceremony, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence also welcomed the move in a speech given from Washington.

"From King David's time to our own, President Trump has now etched his name into the ineffaceable story of Jerusalem. And, as the president said this morning, today is nothing less than a great day for Israel.

"And on behalf of the president and all the American people, on this big day for Israel, we say, 'Mazel tov,'" he said. "God bless you. God bless Israel. And God Bless the United States of America."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also thanked Trump.

"Today's historic event is attributed to the vision, the courage and the moral clarity of one person to whom we owe an enormous and eternal debt of gratitude, President Donald J. Trump," he said.

President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and other senior officials also attended the ceremony. Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, her husband, top presidential adviser Jared Kushner, ‎Special Representative for International ‎Negotiations Jason Greenblatt ‎and other  American lawmakers and religious leaders also attended the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, Kushner and Ivanka Trump unveiled a plaque dedicated to the embassy on Trump's behalf.

"On behalf of the 45th President of the United States of America, we welcome you officially and for the first time to the embassy of the United States here in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Thank you," it read.

After the short statement by his wife, Kushner said he was "so proud to be here today in Jerusalem, the eternal heart of the Jewish people. … And I am especially honored to be here today as a representative of the 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump."

In contrast to past presidents who "backed down" from their promises to transfer the American embassy to Jerusalem, Kushner said, "Once in office, this president delivered, because when President Trump makes a promise he keeps it. But today also demonstrates American leadership, by moving our embassy to Jerusalem we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted. We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else, we have shown that the United States of America will do what is right and so we have."

Kushner also discussed Trump's Iran policy, saying that "last week, President Trump acknowledged another truth and kept another promise. He announced his intention to exit the dangerous, flawed and one-sided Iran deal.

"Iran's aggression threatens the many peace-loving citizens throughout the region and the entire world, from Israel to Jordan to Egypt to Saudi Arabia and beyond," he said.

During the ceremony, top officials with the Republican National Committee, along with a delegation of four Republican senators, 10 Republican congressmen and one Republican governor, cheered Kushner from the gallery. The RNC's new finance chair, Tom Ricketts, also attended.

Amid this week's parades and receptions across Israel, however, partisan divisions back home were rising to the surface.

Not a single elected Democrat attended the celebration in Israel. Most were silent Monday as the ceremony unfolded on television. A few, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, issued written statements of support.

As significant as the event was for many Jews, it appeared to be equally important for Israel's Christian allies. The invitation-only audience at the inauguration ceremony seemed to have as many Christians as Jews, and prominent evangelical Christian allies took part in the ceremony.

Pastor Robert Jeffress, leader of a Dallas-area Baptist church and a spiritual adviser to Trump, delivered the opening blessing, and Pastor John Hagee lead the closing blessing.

Senate candidate Mitt Romney of Utah said Jeffress should not be giving the prayer because he is a "religious bigot." Jeffress has drawn criticism for calling Islam and Mormonism "a heresy from the pit of hell" and saying Jews "can't be saved."

Jeffress told The Associated Press before the blessing that some of the things attributed to him have been taken out of context.

"I think it's sad that Mitt feels the need to lash out in bitterness and anger on such a historic day but it's not going to overshadow what is happening here," he said. "For 2,000 years, historic Christianity has taught that salvation is through Christ alone."

The evangelical embrace has drawn criticism from some quarters, especially liberal American Jews who oppose the conservative Christian agenda. Evangelicals say their affinity stems from Christianity's Jewish roots, and some view Israel's establishment as fulfilling biblical prophecy.

"It's a dream come true," said Shari Dollinger, the co-executive director of Hagee's Christians United For Israel. "This is the fulfillment of years of Jewish and Christian prayer."

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the meeting by expressing his joy over ‎Israel's win in the Eurovision song contest and its effect that Israel will host the event in 2019.

"These days ‎Jerusalem is being blessed with many gifts," he said.

‎"This week we will be blessed with a truly ‎historical event and this is the decision of the ‎greatest major power in the world, our friend the ‎United States, to move its embassy here," he said.

"President ‎Trump promised to recognize Jerusalem as the capital ‎of Israel – and did so. ‎He promised to move the American Embassy – and is ‎doing so. Of course, we will all celebrate this day ‎tomorrow [Monday], it is truly a celebration. Afterward, two ‎additional embassies – Guatemala and Paraguay – will ‎come here and others are on the way.‎
‎ ‎
‎"It is not for nothing that we are marking Jerusalem ‎Day today [Sunday] at the Bible Lands Museum. Jerusalem is mentioned in the ‎Bible approximately 650 times. The reason is simple: ‎For over 3,000 years, it has been the capital of our ‎people, and only of our people. ‎

‎"We dreamed of returning to rebuild it, the city ‎that is joined together – this is exactly what we ‎are doing today. We will make a series of decisions ‎to build up and develop Jerusalem, east and west, ‎north and south, in all directions – to both reveal ‎its past and build its future. I know that there ‎will be difficulties along the way; there have been ‎difficulties for the past 70 years. We have met them ‎since 1949 and up to recent years. We will also meet ‎them in the future.‎

‎"Jerusalem above and Jerusalem below, we are bound ‎to this city. It is part of our soul, part of our ‎experience, on both our material and spiritual ‎sides. ‎

‎"I am certain that all ministers feel as I do ‎regarding the major events that are currently taking ‎place. We are honoring the words of the prophet ‎‎[Joel 4:20], 'But Judah shall be inhabited forever ‎and Jerusalem from generation to generation.'"‎

During the festive meeting, the government voted to ‎invest 50 million shekels ($14 ‎million) in a plan to regulate Jerusalem's infrastructure and ‎overall advancement. ‎

The initiative, sponsored by Justice Minister Ayelet ‎Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi), aims to regulate ‎land registration in east Jerusalem.

Shaked said the initiative, which will be ‎supervised by the Land Registry and Settlement of ‎Rights Department at the Justice Ministry, will mark ‎the first time since the capital's reunification in ‎the 1967 Six-Day War that the state will impose its ‎de facto sovereignty on east Jerusalem.‎

The plan will enable the orderly resolution of ‎land disputes in east Jerusalem, she said. It aims ‎to resolve at least half the ‎issues by 2021 and the rest by ‎‎2025.

Also on Sunday, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira ‎issued a report reviewing the government's efforts ‎to promote Jerusalem's social and economic ‎advancement. ‎

‎"For years, the government has allocated ‎Jerusalem a special grant derived from its status ‎as the capital, but the amount of this grant is ‎determined arbitrarily through negotiations between ‎the government and the Jerusalem Municipality," Shapira wrote.‎

"This method of budgeting is professionally and ‎administratively lacking and it makes it difficult ‎for the municipality to plan its budget."

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"A great day for Israel," Trump tweeted Monday, hours before the grand opening celebration was about to kick off.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman praised the move at a celebratory event at the Orthodox Union in Jerusalem, saying it is the "single most popular thing he [Trump] has done."

He declared that "Israel's greatest friend, the U.S." is once again leading the world with moral clarity and supporting its allies.

In a special celebration at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Friedman a letter of appreciation thanking Trump for his move.

"President Trump is making history," Netanyahu told ministers, MKs, and foreign diplomats at the ceremony.

"We are deeply grateful and our people will be eternally grateful for his bold decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the embassy there tomorrow."

Netanyahu, who is also the foreign minister, said, "Now, you are in the Foreign Ministry and I'm the foreign minister, and you're coming at a time when Israel is a rising power in the world, you know, in cyber, in IT [information technology], in water, in judo, in singing." The last was a reference to Israel's victory in the 2018 Eurovision song contest the previous night.

"President Trump's decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem affirms a great and simple truth: Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for the past 3,000 years," Netanyahu said.

"It's been the capital of our state for the past 70 years. It will remain our capital for all time.

"Thank you, President Trump, for your bold decision, thank you for making the alliance between Israel and the U.S. stronger than ever.

"Now, you know how you recognize real leadership? It's when others follow, and others are following in President Trump's footsteps," Netanyahu said, referring to Guatemala and Paraguay, which have also announced that they will move their embassies to Jerusalem this week.

"I thank Guatemala's foreign minister, who is here, Sandra Jovel, who has joined us today. We will open your embassy two days from tomorrow. Thank you.

"I thank the president of Paraguay and the incoming president of Paraguay, because they'll open their embassy a few days after that. And other nations are in the process of doing exactly that," Netanyahu continued.

"I call on all countries to join the U.S. in moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Move your embassies to Jerusalem because it's the right thing to do. And move your embassies to Jerusalem because it advances peace, and that's because you can't base peace on a foundation of lies. You base peace on the foundations of truth, and the truth is that not only has Jerusalem been the capital of the Jewish people for millennia and the capital of our state from its inception, the truth is that under any peace agreement you could possibly imagine, Jerusalem will remain Israel's capital."

Netanyahu also spoke about Iran, thanking Trump "for his decision to confront Iran rather than to appease it. Pulling out of the nuclear deal means that the world's greatest sponsor of terrorism is no longer on a path to attaining an arsenal of nuclear weapons. This is good for Israel, this is good for the region, it's good for the world."

Dozens of foreign diplomats attended the event, including from Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic, who arrived despite the European Union itself refraining from attending the ceremony and calling on ambassadors from member states to avoid it in protest against the U.S. move. The EU's official policy is to oppose moving embassies to Jerusalem in the absence of a permanent peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, who envision parts of Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The EU mission in Israel tweeted on Friday that the bloc would "respect the international consensus on Jerusalem ... including on the location of their diplomatic representations until the final status of Jerusalem is resolved."

A large American delegation was present at the ceremony, including the president's daughter Ivanka Trump, along with her husband and presidential adviser Jared Kushner. Netanyahu met with Kushner on Sunday and said his presence at the inaugural event has international significance.

The delegation was led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan. It also included Friedman, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer, and U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt.

On Monday morning, Mnuchen called the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem a "national security priority."

"I couldn't be prouder to be here, to be representing the president, to be part of this administration, to be witnessing this historic moment that should have been done long ago," Mnuchin said in an interview with Israel Hayom.

Speaking Sunday at a ceremony for fallen soldiers in the Six-Day War and War of Attrition, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, "Tomorrow we will witness a historic moment, one we have been awaiting for 51 years, from the day of Jerusalem's liberation. I want to thank President Trump once again for his courageous decision to transfer the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel and of the Jewish people, and not to capitulate or be deterred by threats and intimidation by Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas], Hamas and their allies.

"Clearly, we need to also thank President Trump for his important decision to exit the nuclear deal with Iran. On this day, when we mark the brave battles for Jerusalem, I wish to go back to the words that many surely said before they took their last breath, and not only on Ammunition Hill or battle sites in the city: 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.'"

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Lieberman was speaking during a tour of the Golan Heights town of Katzrin after Israel on Thursday launched its heaviest barrage in Syria since the 2011 start of the civil war there. The strike was ordered in retaliation over missile fire by Iranian-backed militias at IDF bases in the Golan Heights.

"I will take this opportunity to send a message to Assad: Get rid of the Iranians, get rid of Ghasem Soleimani and the Quds Force. They are not helping you, they only cause damage, and their presence will only cause problems and damages," Lieberman said.

Soleimani is the head of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, Iran's black-ops arm, which is fighting in both Iraq and Syria.

"Get rid of the Iranians and maybe it will be possible to have a different kind of life," Lieberman said.

He said Israel is not interested in further escalation.

"We did not come to the Iranian border, they came here," he said. "Our permanent policy is that if someone is about to carry out a terrorist attack or launch rockets at the State of Israel, we will always endeavor to counter them ahead of time."

Lieberman met with Katzrin Regional Council Head Dimitry Apartsev, Golan Regional Council Head Eli Malk and representatives from the Galilee region.

Tehran issued its first official reaction to Israeli attacks on suspected Iranian targets in Syria, saying the raid was based on "fabricated and baseless excuses."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the Syrian government has the legitimate right to respond to repeated violations of the country's sovereignty.

A hard-line Iranian cleric threatened that his country would retaliate if Israel "does anything foolish."

Iran has advisers and experts and has backed tens of thousands of militiamen who are fighting alongside Assad's forces in the civil war. Israel has warned it will not tolerate its archenemy Iran establishing a military presence on its doorstep.

Israeli defense officials believe Iran's next move will be to try to restore its missile and rocket stockpiles and plot its revenge, likely through attacks on Israeli or Jewish targets overseas.

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U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman posted a video to the "U.S. Embassy Jerusalem" Facebook page of himself standing in front of scaffolding covered in blue and white drapes.

Behind him are signs reading "Trump is a Friend of Zion" and "Trump Make Israel Great" – a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump's election slogan "Make America Great Again."

At a press conference on Friday, Friedman said the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is first and foremost in "the interests of the United States."

A small interim embassy is set to open inside an existing American consulate building in Jerusalem on May 14, the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding. A larger site will open at a later date, when the rest of the embassy relocates from Tel Aviv. The Jerusalem embassy is expected to be fully operational in three years' time.

"We are so excited," said Friedman, a Trump appointee who was a strong advocate of the embassy move.

"We have the official seal of the United States Embassy. We have the dedication plaque. They are covered right now, but on Monday they are going to be unveiled."

Praising Trump's December decisions to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to the city, Friedman signed off in  Hebrew and English with the words "This year in Jerusalem," a take on the oft-said adage (from the Passover Haggadah) "Next year in Jerusalem."

On Saturday, Trump tweeted, "Big week next week when the American Embassy in Israel will be moved to Jerusalem. Congratulations to all!"

While the American president will not be in attendance at the opening ceremony, he has recorded a congratulatory video message that will be played at the event.

Last week, it was announced that the White House would be sending a presidential delegation to the event that includes Friedman, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband, senior adviser Jared Kushner, along with special envoy Jason Greenblatt. A separate congressional delegation will also be in attendance.

More than 1,000 people have been invited to the official opening ceremony.

The White House will also host an event in Washington to honor the relocation of the embassy.

Administration officials said official government maps would be updated to reflect the U.S.'s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Work on the embassy compound, including the paving of a new access road and an emergency escape route, was nearing conclusion, as was the installation of perimeter lighting.

U.S. and Israeli flags have been hung from city street lights and the  Bridge of Strings at the entrance to Jerusalem will be lit in the colors of the U.S. flag in honor of the relocation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to host a special reception in honor of Jerusalem Day and the embassy relocation at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in the Israeli capital on Sunday. While the ambassadors of all the missions to Israel have been invited, only 30 are expected to attend.

Considering their vocal opposition to the embassy's transfer, the Europeans in particular are not expected to take part in the festivities.

The EU sought to condemn the embassy's transfer in an official statement, but was prevented from doing so when member-states Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania blocked the move, according to a Channel 10 report.

The planned statement, reportedly initiated by France, would have been delivered by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and reiterated the European Union's view that Jerusalem is the capital of both Israel and the Palestinians, that the status of Jerusalem should be resolved through direct negotiations and that the EU would not move its embassy to the city.

The decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem infuriated Palestinians, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas calling it a "slap in the face" and saying Washington could no longer be regarded as an honest broker in any peace talks with Israel.

Germany has advised its citizens to stay away from Jerusalem's Old City this weekend, citing the possibility of violence surrounding the opening of the embassy.

In line with the United States, Guatemala and Honduras are also set to mark the official transfer of their respective embassies to Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said, "The change in Jerusalem is permeating the world. If in 1967 we unified the capital, in recent years we are opening it up to the world in the diplomatic arena and in the cultural, tourism and economic fields. The transfer of the U.S. Embassy, and of the countries that will follow, is the culmination of this trend. Jerusalem is ready for the historic event."

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In a brief video address, Netanyahu said, "Iran crossed a red line. We responded accordingly. The IDF carried out a very wide-ranging attack against Iranian targets in Syria.

"Thanks to a correct deployment of our forces both offensively and defensively, the Iranian action failed. No rocket landed in Israeli territory and our policy is clear: We will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria.

"I delivered a clear message to the Assad regime: Our action is directed against Iranian targets in Syria; however, if the Syrian military acts against us, we will act against it. This is exactly what happened – Syrian military batteries fired surface-to-air missiles against us and, therefore, we attacked them," Netanyahu said.

"The international community needs to prevent the Iranian Quds Force from establishing itself in Syria. We need to unite in order to cut off its spreading tentacles of evil there and everywhere.

"I repeat: Whoever hurts us – we will hurt them sevenfold, and whoever is preparing to hurt us – we will act to hit them first. This is what we have done and this is what we will continue to do," the prime minister said.
Israeli politicians lauded the successful Israeli strike on Iran's assets in Syria.

Habayit Hayehudi leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett met with foreign diplomats and said, "We are not going to make the same mistakes we did in Lebanon. We are ready to take on a low-intensity conflict in the present to prevent a far more substantial threat in the future."

Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz explained that "the only way to prevent violence and war tomorrow is to strike [Iranian assets in Syria] today. We are defending our soldiers and our citizens, and we are sparing no effort to detect and prevent [threats]."

Construction Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel "will not allow the establishment of another front on the Golan Heights. We are ready for any development and we will cut off this [Iranian] arm. If we don't act now to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria there will be a heavy price to pay. We will put the Iranian genie back in the bottle."

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon called on the Security Council to condemn the Iranian aggression against Israel.

"Israel will continue to defend its citizens against any act of aggression. We have no interest in a security escalation, but under no circumstances will we allow an Iranian military establishment in Syria with the sole purpose of attacking Israel and deteriorating the fragile situation in our region," he said.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said, "We sent Iran and the Assad regime a message of determination and strength. Israel will not hesitate to act against the Iranian forces in Syria and it will show no leniency in the face of any attempt to attack the residents of northern Israel."

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein echoed the sentiment, saying "Israel delivered a clear message to Iran and its other enemies: The rules of the game have changed. We will not tolerate the establishment of hostile Iranian forces within a short distance from our border communities."

The opposition also lauded Thursday's operation.

"When the government acts appropriately, like in the case of the strike against the Iranian forces in Syria, I will support it regardless of politics. When the prime minister is wrong, I will be the first to call him out on it," Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said.

Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay noted that "the concept by which the defense establishment operates is accurate and correct. Israel must protect its borders."

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Israel said it attacked nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria on Thursday after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israel for the first time.

It was the heaviest Israeli barrage in Syria since 2011, when the ongoing Syrian war began, in which Iranians, allied Shiite Muslim militias and Russian troops have deployed in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad against Syrian rebels.

The aerial photos, featuring the targeted sites in Syria before the Israeli airstrikes, included images of intelligence installations at Tel Gharba, Tel Kleb, Nabi Yusha and Tel Maqdad, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said, dubbing the operation "House of Cards."

Additional images showed a military compound belonging to the Iranian Quds Force in Al-Kiswah and another large logistical site near Damascus, both reportedly targeted in Thursday's strikes.

The Syrian Army Command said Israel's attack killed three people and injured two others. A Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the strikes killed at least 23 military personnel, including Syrians and non-Syrians.

The operation was a collaborative effort by the IDF Intelligence Corps, Israeli Air Force and Northern Command.

Characterizing the Iranian rocket fire that prompted the strikes as "clumsy and amateur," the IDF said that "out of a salvo of 20 [rockets], not one managed to hit Israel. Sixteen landed in Syrian territory and four were intercepted by Israeli air defenses."

But however hapless the Iranian attack may have been, Israel was determined to mount a repsonse. The IDF notified the Russian air force in Syria that extensive Israeli strikes were imminent, and warned the Russians to refrain from engaging with Israeli aircraft.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that 28 Israeli F-15 and F-16 jets fired some 60 missiles during the operation.

According to a senior IAF official, "in less than two hours, dozens of Iranian targets in Syria were struck, some inside the most dense air defenses in the world. We also attacked near Damascus International Airport, and to its south and north.

"As part of the strikes, dozens of anti-aircraft missiles of various kinds were shot [at Israeli planes], and any battery that fired was destroyed. There were no operational Iranian anti-aircraft defenses, but the Iranians are motivated to bring anti-aircraft defenses into Syria. We'll take care of those, too. We are assuming they have missiles with a range longer than 40 km [25 miles]," the official said.

"Our message to the Syrians is simple: We can reach any target. Now we are preparing for any scenario in the north [of Israel] and waiting to see Iran's  next move in Syria, Hezbollah's in Lebanon, and Hamas' in Gaza," the IAF official said.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis confirmed that the IAF had struck over 50 targets, including storehouses containing missiles and rockets.

Highest level of alert

The assessment within the IDF is that even though the revenge attack was commanded by the Iranians and the order came directly from Quds Force commander Gen. Ghasem Soleimani, the Iranians, in an attempt to distance themselves from the event, used foreign Shiite militia fighters (under Hezbollah consultation) – who were evidently not proficient in operating the rocket system.

"It is insolence on the part of the Quds Force and Ghasem Soleimani," Manelis said. "The IDF is maintaining its vigilance and readiness."

In addition to the air force, the IDF also attacked from the ground with the Tamuz precision electro-optic missile. Tanks from the Armored Corps' 7th Brigade fired at targets belonging to the Syrian army's 90th Brigade.

Brig. Gen. Amit Fisher, the head of the IDF's 210th Bashan Division, which is responsible for defending the Golan Heights, said: "Over the past month, the division's forces have been working tirelessly to protect the civilians along the border with Syria. The division's second task came overnight Wednesday, and involved identifying and neutralizing those elements shooting at us and taking part in activities against us."

The IDF and air force will remain on the highest alert level over the weekend, out of concerns that the Iranians will try shooting at Israel again.

In the wake of the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet to update ministers on the IDF's operation in Syria and on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to one source, the cabinet was divided over whether to continue attacking Iranian positions in Syria or to cease hostilities and cease further escalation.

Netanyahu said after the meeting that "Iran crossed a red line, and the response was appropriate. We will not let Iran establish a military foothold in Syria. I sent a clear message to the Assad regime: Our actions are aimed against Iranian targets, but if the Syrian army acts against us we will act against it – and that's exactly what happened. Whoever hurts us, we will hurt them seven-fold, and whoever prepares to hurt us – we will act to hurt him first."

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Since intervening in the Syrian civil war on behalf of President Bashar Assad in 2015, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks on suspected arms transfers and deployments by Assad's Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah allies.

But Moscow's condemnation of an April 9 strike that killed seven Iranian personnel set off speculation in Israel that Russian patience might be wearing thin.

Netanyahu flew to Moscow on Wednesday to meet Putin, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump quit the Iranian nuclear deal and Syria accused Israel of carrying out a fresh missile strike on an army base near Damascus.

"Given what is happening in Syria at this very moment, there is a need to ensure the continuation of military coordination between the Russian military and the Israel Defense Forces," Netanyahu told reporters before departing, referring to a hotline designed to prevent the countries clashing accidentally.

After the talks with Putin, the prime minister sounded upbeat.

"I presented Israel's obligation and right to defend itself against Iranian aggression, from Syrian territory. The Iranians declare their intention to attack us. They are trying to transfer forces and deadly weapons there with the explicit goal of attacking the State of Israel as part of their strategy to destroy the State of Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement.

"I told President Putin that it is the right of every state, certainly it is Israel's right, to take such steps as are necessary to defend itself against this aggression. I think that matters were presented in a direct and forthright manner, and this is important. These matters are very important to Israel's security at all times and especially at this time."

"In previous meetings, given statements that were putatively attributed to – or were made by – the Russian side, it was meant to have limited our freedom of action or harm other interests and that didn't happen, and I have no basis to think that this time will be different," he told reporters in a phone briefing.

There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin.

Early Thursday morning, the Israeli Air Force struck over 50 Iranian targets inside Syria after Iran's elite Quds Force launched its first direct attack on Israel just after midnight.

According to IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, no Iranian rockets landed inside Israeli territory.

Netanyahu's relationship with Putin has been buoyed by a long-running Israeli courting of Russian sensitivities.

During his 10-hour Moscow visit, Netanyahu attended, alongside Putin, annual Red Square celebrations of the anniversary of the end of World War II. Israel recognizes the Russian date, May 9. Most Western powers mark it on May 8.

Following the parade, the leaders attended a wreath-laying ceremony for the unknown soldier at the memorial for Red Army soldiers who fell in World War II and whose resting place is unknown. The leaders laid flowers on the stones of the Moscow Hero City Monument in the presence of an honor guard; national anthems were also played.

Netanyahu thanked Putin for inviting him to attend the ceremony, which he said was a testament to the "deep ties between our two peoples."

"We in Israel do not forget for a moment the great sacrifice of the Russian people and the Red Army in the victory over the Nazi monster. ... We will never forget the meaning of your sacrifice, of those soldiers, along with the half a million Jewish soldiers in the Red Army, in ensuring the fate of Russia, of humanity and of our people, the Jewish people.

"Neither do we forget the great lesson of the need to stand against a murderous ideology in time. It is unbelievable, but 73 years after the Holocaust, there is a country in the Middle East, Iran, that is calling for the destruction of another 6 million Jews.

"The difference is that today we have a state, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss regional problems with you, the attempts as you put it, to resolve the crises, to lift the threats in a prudent and responsible manner."

Intelligence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday, "When the president of Russia invites the prime minister of the state of the Jews to stand alongside him at the parade symbolizing the Red Army's victory over the Nazis, its liberation, also, of the [concentration] camps, of Jews and others – for Russia, that is very significant."

Netanyahu and Putin also discussed the Iranian nuclear archives collected by Israeli intelligence agents in January and presented by Netanyahu last week.  The two agreed that a Russian intelligence delegation would fly to Israel to review the materials.

Last week, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman used a Russian newspaper interview to remind Moscow that Israel had not joined Western sanctions against it over the Crimea crisis and the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in Britain.

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