US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman spoke this morning, Tuesday, at the Knesset Caucus for US – Israel Relations reception held in his honor, and addressed the resolution of the recent crisis with Jordan that ensued after a security official at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan was attacked by a terrorist.
“Yesterday we had an opportunity to see how effectively and closely our two governments work, because we had a situation in Jordan which was potentially something that could have gone very bad, and with no fanfare but a lot of hard work and behind-the-scenes discussions by the senior officials in the US and of course with the Prime Minister and the King of Jordan, we were able to defuse very quickly a situation that, under other circumstances, could have ended less successfully. Our governments are joined at the hip in many respects and work very closely to achieve what is in our collective interest.”
Friedman also addressed the upcoming day of the Ninth of Av, which commemorates the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem, along with a string of other calamities in Jewish history.
“Today is the second day of [the Hebrew month of] Av, we’ve begun counting the days until the ninth of Av, and we have to recall the destruction of the Temples that occurred on this day, and in particular the Second Temple, which was destroyed because of gratuitous hatred among the Jewish People.
“At this time of year, it’s important to recognize just how important it is for those who support the State of Israel, who share the values of the State of Israel and the US, to listen to and respect each other, and to work together.
“This doesn’t suggest that people shouldn’t hold their views. But we also have to listen to each other and we have to work together. There’s one United States and there’s one State of Israel, there’s one bond between our two great countries, and I think we strengthen those bonds, first and foremost, by speaking less and listening more. So in that spirit, I thank you for hosting me here today.”