Thumbs Up to Trump's Trip to Israel Read More on Page 18 May 26, 2017 | 1 Sivan 5777
Vol. 14, Iss. 20
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Trump Becomes First Sitting President to Visit Kotel in Historic Trip; Sees “Real Hope for Peace”
President Donald Trump then made his way to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, which is one of Judaism's holiest sites. Trump later called it a "great honor" to visit the wall, saying, "I can see a much deeper path, friendship with Israel." He spent several moments at the Western Wall in a highly pensive and reflective mode.
By: Fern Sidman
O
n Monday, President Trump arrived in Israel on what has been called a historic visit. Having concluded high level meetings and delivering an address on the international scourge of Islamist terrorism while visiting Saudi Arabia on his very first international sojourn, Trump conveyed “warmest greetings from your friend and ally, all of the people in the United States” at the welcoming ceremony at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Air Force One arrived at approximately 12:35 pm Israel time and the relatively short plane flight made history as well as it marked the first direct
flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv. “On my first trip overseas as president, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the State of Israel,” Trump stated at a welcoming ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. “I am deeply grateful for your invitation and am very, very honored to be with you,” Trump said. “We love Israel, we respect Israel and I send your people the warmest greetings from your friend and ally, all of the people in the United States of America.” “It is wonderful to be here in Israel,” he continued. “In this land so rich in history, Israel has built one of the
world’s great civilizations, a strong, resilient, determined and prosperous nation.”
“We love Israel, we respect Israel and I send your people the warmest greetings from your friend and ally, all of the people in the United States of America.” “It is also a nation forged in the commitment that we will never allow the horrors and atrocities of the last century to be repeated,” he added, on obvious reference to the Holocaust. Referring to his visit to Saudi Ara-
bia over the weekend, Trump said he has “found new reasons for hope” and “reached historic agreements to pursue greater and greater cooperation in the fight against terrorism and its evil ideology.” Trump’s next stops on his first trip abroad as US president are the Vatican and a NATO summit in Belgium. “We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace,” he stressed. “We must work together to build a future in which the nations of the region are at peace, and all of our children can grow, and grow up strong, and grow up free from ter-
rorism and violence. But we can only get there working together. There is no other way.” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told Trump that Israel “will do everything in its power to assist you” in defeating terrorism in the region. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin conveyed Israel’s full intention to join President Donald Trump in his efforts to root out terrorism in the Middle East, during a joint press conference at his Jerusalem residence on Monday. “You marked the defeating of ISIS as one of your top missions,” Rivlin noted. “This is a most important objec-
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