WATCH: Israel Envoy David Friedman Says He Prayed For Trump At Western Wall
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Naomi Zeveloff May 16, 2017
The new U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, prayed for Trump at the Western Wall on his first day in Israel.
In a video posted to Twitter by the U.S. embassy, Friedman said that he came straight to the Western Wall from the airport with his wife and daughter on Monday.
Welcome to US Ambassador to #Israel David Friedman. First stop- a prayer at the #WesternWall pic.twitter.com/FTkzt2uQmA
— USEmbassyTelAviv (@usembassyta) May 15, 2017
“I prayed for of course the health of my family, my children, my grandchildren. I prayed for the president, and I wish him success especially in his upcoming trip,” he said. Trump will reportedly be arriving in Israel next week.
Friedman said that he said the shehecheyanu prayer at the wall, which marks special occasions and new experiences.
Friedman landed in Israel after a battle over his confirmation earlier this year.
A financial backer of the settlement movement who has publicly derogated the liberal Jewish group J Street — he later apologized for his remarks — Friedman was confirmed in the Senate on a vote of 52 to 46.
It was the most narrow vote for a U.S. Israel envoy in history.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
