U.S. embassy opens in Israel’s capital

May 14, 2018 — Israel National News reports: “The US embassy in Jerusalem, Israel officially opened Monday afternoon.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman spoke at the opening ceremony.

‘On this exact day 70 years ago, at almost this exact time, David Ben Gurion declared Israel’s independence. Just 11 minutes later, President Harry Truman caused the United States to be the first nation to recognize the reborn State of Israel. He later regretted that he waited so long,’ Ambassador Friedman said.

‘70 years since that memorable event, almost to the minute, the United States finally takes the next step: a step awaited, voted upon, litigated, and prayed for for all these years. Today, we open the United States embassy in Jerusalem, Israel,’ he declared.

The ambassador credited US President Donald Trump for having the courage to open an embassy in Israel’s capital. ‘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.’

‘Today, we keep our promise to the American people, and we extend to Israel the same right that we extend to every other nation, the right to designate its capital city. A capital city, I should add, which houses all three seats of government, with a 3,000 year old history dating back to the time when King David made Jerusalem the capital of ancient Israel…”  (In 1995, the U.S. Congress voted to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.  President Bill Clinton said that he supported the idea in principle, President George W. Bush stated that he would move the U.S. ambassador there in 2000, President Barack Obama referred to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and said that it must remain undivided.  Congress has also repeatedly passed legislation calling for the embassy move.  President Donald Trump made it official.

Although its history is one of war and destruction, Jerusalem means “city of peace” or “foundation of peace.”

From the siege of David in 1000 B.C. to the Six Day War of 1967, the sounds of battle have been heard as this city has experienced 46 sieges and 32 partial destructions. It has been burned to the ground five times, always rising from the ashes. It is the site of the most volatile political, religious, and military problems in the entire world.

The Jewish cry for peace in Jerusalem is sincere, finding its roots in the promise given through Moses (Leviticus 26:6). Jerusalem will finally become the city of peace and capital of the world when Christ, who is our peace, returns (Isaiah 9:6).  See the next two reports.)

‘You have made history’: Netanyahu hails Trump at Jerusalem embassy opening

May 14, 2018 — The Times of Israel reports: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday praised Donald Trump for ‘making history by recognizing history’ at a ceremony dedicating the new US embassy in Jerusalem, while President Reuven Rivlin thanked the US president for ‘keeping his promise.’

‘What a glorious day,’ Netanyahu told the crowd at the new embassy building in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona. ‘Remember this moment, this is history. President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history.’

‘Today, the embassy of the most powerful country on earth, our friend and ally, the United States of America, opens in Jerusalem,’ he exclaimed.

Some 800 guests attended the embassy dedication. Representing the US at the opening were US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, the president’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt. US Ambassador David Friedman was presiding over the dedication ceremony.

‘We have no better friends in the world,’ Netanyahu told the American guests…”

Pence: By recognizing Jerusalem, we chose fact over fiction

May 16, 2018 —Israel National News reports: “U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Monday night delivered remarks at an event celebrating Israel’s 70th Independence Day at the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC.

Pence welcomed the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, noting that President Trump ‘has made history now. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, almost exactly 70 years to the minute since the rebirth of the Jewish State, the American Embassy officially opened in Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel!’

‘By finally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the United States has chosen fact over fiction – and fact is the only true foundation for a just and lasting peace. And as President Trump made clear this morning, ‘our greatest hope is for peace,’’ he continued…”

‘U.S. embassy relocation speeds up Israel’s annihilation’

May 16, 2018 — Israel National News reports: “Ali Akbar Velayati, a top foreign policy adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, threatened Israel on Tuesday.

Velayati declared that the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem speeds up the ‘annihilation of the Zionist regime’, according to a report in the Tehran Times.

‘Relocation of the U.S. embassy to one of the most sacred religious places of the Muslims will speed up the process of the Zionist regime’s collapse,’ he said in a post on Instagram.

Velayati further said that the U.S. move was made to recognize the Zionist regime’s ‘illegal’ status, but it revealed more the ‘cruel’ image of the Zionists.

‘Return to homeland which has been occupied by a tyrant and child-killer regime is a rightful demand which will be met soon. The Palestinians have always resisted and will resist criminal acts of Israel which is being backed by the U.S. and certain reactionary allies in the region,’ he said, according to the Tehran Times.

Velayati then claimed that Jerusalem has belonged and will always belong to Muslims…”  (The Gatestone Institute, in an article entitled: The Quran Says Jerusalem Belongs to the Jews – https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11680/quran-jerusalem-jews states: “…Although ordinary Muslims who might not actually have read their holy book could be excused for their ignorance about the Jewish roots of and rights to Israel and Jerusalem, the same cannot be said for the leaders of Muslim countries, imams and the heads of illustrious Islamic institutions. Dignitaries and scholars of that caliber should know better. Yet many of them repeat false assertions that contradict the Quran and scholarly interpretations of its verses.

The fact is that the Quran does not mention Jerusalem or Palestine. It does refer to the sanctity of other holy places, such as Mecca — which is called the “Mother of Cities” — where the Prophet Muhammad was born and where the house of God was built by Abraham, the “father of the prophets.”

 The Quran also mentions the city of Yathrib [Medina], where the Prophet Mohammed emigrated after he was persecuted in Mecca, and the location of his grave and the Prophet’s Mosque…”

930 times God promises Jerusalem forever to the Jews. God promised to Abraham: “…I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing:  and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” – Genesis 12:2, 3. Soon all Hell will break loose in the Middle East. Joel 3:2 warns today’s politicians that World War III occurs because of parting God’s land. It won’t succeed. Christ will return, stop the horrendous war and reign over the world from the Throne of David in Jerusalem forever – Revelation 11:18; Luke 1:32, 33.)

Syria condemns ‘brutal massacre’ in Gaza

May 15, 2018 — Israel National News reports: “Syria accused Israel of carrying out a ‘brutal massacre’ after at least 58 Arab rioters were shot dead in the Gaza Strip on Monday as tens of thousands of rioters clashed with Israeli security forces in protest of the US’ Jerusalem embassy opening.

‘Syria condemns… the brutal massacre carried out by the Israeli occupation against unarmed Palestinian civilians,’ a foreign affairs ministry official was quoted as saying by the official SANA news agency.

58 Arab rioters were killed and roughly 2,700 more were injured during the violent riots that erupted along the Gaza-Israel border ahead of the opening ceremony for the new US embassy in Jerusalem.

Damascus condemned the ‘criminal and illegitimate’ decision to move the US mission to Jerusalem, asserting that the Trump administration bore ‘responsibility for the blood of Palestinian martyrs.’…”  (What hypocrisy that Syria is accusing anyone of brutality.  As was reported in the May 2018 Van Impe Intelligence Briefing, more than 500,000 people have died in Syria since 2011.  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has carried out numerous inhumane tactics such as chemical weapons, and barrel bombs, both classified as weapons of terror.)