Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised US Ambassador David Friedman for “establishing the deep ties between Israel and the US, in correcting the diplomatic injustices that were created over the years in global diplomacy regarding Israel and in establishing the status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” in farewell remarks on Sunday at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.
“David, I do not know, when you were appointed ambassador, if you knew the mark you would leave behind, but today we all know it,” Netanyahu said to Friedman, who attended the meeting.
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Netanyahu called the American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “a correction of an injustice that is difficult to understand.” He called the US recognition of sovereignty over the Golan Heights, under Friedman’s stewardship “so natural and so necessary both from the perspective of justice and that of our security.”
He also praised Friedman’s work on the Trump peace plan, as well as his statements that Israel’s presence in the West Bank does not not contravene international law.
“We are really appreciative of your love for Israel, your commitment as an American patriot to strengthening America, to strengthen freedom, to fight for the common values that bind Americans and Israelis together. And I think no one has done it better than you. So, thank you,” Netanyahu concluded.
Friedman’s term will end later this week when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in in Washington.