The US Embassy and Ambassador David Friedman welcomed the signing of a Joint Declaration of Cooperation Between the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad (CPAHA) and the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs on the preservation of certain cultural properties.

Under the declaration of cooperation, the CPAHA and Ministry of Diaspora Affairs agreed to work together to preserve the cultural heritage of their citizens in Europe, including cemeteries, monuments, and archival material, which were decimated by the Holocaust and decades of communist rule. The United States and Israel have committed to identifying damaged, deteriorated, or obscured sites and related objects of cultural heritage in Eastern and Central Europe, and to work together to preserve those sites through joint projects.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said: “The relationship between the United States and Israel has never been closer, and we are cooperating at every level and in every sphere. While diplomatic and security cooperation are often what makes the news headlines, I’m especially proud of this new joint declaration, which unifies our efforts on the preservation of cultural heritage, an issue of extreme importance for millions of American citizens and Israeli citizens.”

Dvir Kahana, the Director General of the Ministry stated “I am excited to work with the United States and the Commision to further the enduring heritage of the Jewish nation and the people of Israel.”
Paul Packer, Chairman of the Commission, said that “The new partnership with the ministry will allow the United States and Israel to strengthen their citizens’ heritages not only to remember and commemorate the past but to make sure the values that our nations were built on will never be forgotten.”
Chairman Packer said that the agreement would not have been possible without the leadership of Ambassador Friedman.

“Under Ambassador Friedman’s leadership partnering strategically with Israel has never been easier. We were able to accomplish this important milestone in record time because of the trust and credibility that the Ambassador on behalf of President Donald Trump has restored to America’s crucial relationship with the State of Israel.”