A ‘Cheeky’ 50-Foot-High Plea to Trump on Jerusalem Embassy
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Naomi Zeveloff January 23, 2017
An Israeli developer has draped a 50-foot-tall sign on the facade of a Jerusalem building advertising himself to Donald Trump as the man to build the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.
Trump promised to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv during his campaign, a pledge made but never fulfilled by several other American presidents.
The sign congratulates Trump. It also includes developer Johny Finn’s phone number.
“It’s the Jewish chutzpah,” Finn said in an interview with the Forward. Finn, a British Israeli who lives in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, called the sign a “cheeky Jewish joke” that touched on current events.
Finn is in favor of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as a gesture to show that the United States stands by Israel. He is sure that Trump will do it, calling Trump “as straight as they come.”
Image by Connie Green
Finn’s sign hangs on a building in West Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood. The building is empty of tenants during repairs.
Even so, Finn said that several apartment owners made note of the large sign, including one left-wing couple who were upset about the message.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected]
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
