Netanyahu Joyfully Welcomes U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke joyfully Monday afternoon at the inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, saying “What a glorious day. Remember this moment! President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history. All of us are deeply moved. All of us are deeply grateful…thank you President Trump, for having the courage to keep your promises!”

Elections for the Parliament of Iraq were held this week, with the party led by Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, an old enemy of both Iran and the US, receiving 54 seats out of 329. The next largest list was the Fateh list led by an Iranian ally, Hadi al-Amiri, which picked up 42 seats. Various other factions took the remaining seats, with analysts saying it’s too early to speculate about what a governing coalition might look like.

Tel Aviv University announced this week that it is forming an alliance with the Indian philanthropic organization Tata Trusts to launch a new Indian Centre for Agri and Allied Tech (I-CAT). The initiative will allow farmers in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to take advantage of Israeli experience and technology to vastly increase their crop yields, improve nutrition and create economic opportunities for the regions residents. There are plans to expand the program to other parts of India in the future.

A small but vocal group of protesters came to Jerusalem on Monday to voice their opposition to the opening of the US Embassy in the city. The crowd, which included Arab members of the Israeli Knesset, “chanted Allah Akbar” and engaged in heated arguments with police officers, according to a police statement. Additionally, protesters held signs written in Hebrew, Arabic, and English saying “al-Quds is the capital of Palestine,” and “al-Quds is Arab – Muslim and Christian.”

It is ironic that some of those in the international community who insist on the importance of the 1967 lines are now supporting those attempting to demolish that same line around Gaza while criticizing the Israelis for defending it. What is apparent is that the dispute is not about geographic delineation but about a fundamental opposition to Israel.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: “I swear by Allah that the Europeans will follow the path of the Americans. Trump’s body will become fodder for snakes and worms, while the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to stand strong.” IRGC Commander Mohammad Jafari: “The fate of the agreement has been decided because Europe can’t act independently. It is dependent upon America.”

Since the early 1980s, the ICEJ has helped more than 117,000  Jews immigrate (make “Aliyah”) to Israel. From launching protests outside Soviet embassies worldwide to sponsoring charter flights, the ICEJ continues to play a key role in the Jewish people’s return ‘home’.