David Friedman Takes Office As New Envoy To Israel

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JERUSALEM (JTA) — The new U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman presented his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem.

Friedman, who is an Orthodox Jew and owns an apartment in Jerusalem, also presented his wife, Tammy, and daughter, Talia, to Rivlin following the playing of the United States national anthem by an Israeli military band.

“Serving the U.S as its Ambassador to the State of Israel, is the greatest honor of my life, and I pledge to you to do all that I can to strengthen and enhance the relations between our two great nations – that you accurately described as unbreakable and, I would add, without limits,” Friedman said in his remarks.

“I am so grateful to President Trump for giving me the opportunity, for having confidence in my abilities, and most importantly for sending me off this past week with the unequivocal and unambiguous mandate to support the State of Israel in every way, and in all ways,” he also said.

The men toasted Friedman’s new position with glasses of wine, declaring “l’Chaim.”