US embassy in Jerusalem recognizes settlement project City of David
The US Embassy in Jerusalem, along with the US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, have recognized the settlement project City of David in the occupied city of Jerusalem, as a testament to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles.
“The United States Embassy in Jerusalem, together with the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, have recognized the City of David as a testament to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles,” the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said in a press release.
He added, “The archeological discoveries at the City of David bring Biblical Jerusalem back to life and reaffirm the prophetic messages of freedom, justice and peace that inspired America’s founders.”
Friedman and commission chairman Paul Packer also dedicated a plaque in honor of the site for “the seminal role it plays in connecting its visitors to the origins of the values that helped shape America.”
Friedman said that he hoped that the plaque would prompt all those who read it to think of the Judeo-Christian values upon which America was founded and “how those values were inspired by ancient Jerusalem and its inhabitants.”
Following this step, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned Friedman’s recognition of the settlement project City of David, pledging to legally pursue him.
All East Jerusalem is a Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, and “it is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine despite Friedman and his outgoing administration, which has deviated from every legal, diplomatic or ethical norm,” the ministry said in a statement.
It considered that “Friedman’s bigoted statements are a flagrant violation of international legitimacy and its resolutions, and international law and diplomatic traditions.”
The ministry also stressed that it will take responsibility to follow up this matter with legal experts and the concerned authorities to discuss the possibility of holding Friedman accountable before international and specialized courts.
The ministry said that this step is “illegal, invalid and reflects Friedman’s intentions and his dark ideology he tries to attach not only to his country, but to the American constitution and principles, and to employ them for the benefit of the Israeli narrative in Jerusalem.”
Friedman’s recognition of the City of David settlement project came two days before the end of his duties as US ambassador to Israel.
Chairman of @USHeritageComm Paul Packer and I were privileged to recognize the @cityofdavid for its contribution to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. Whether one observes any religion or no religion, this is a wellspring of our common values. https://t.co/UIkuEIeNs9
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) January 18, 2021
