David Friedman Takes Office As New Envoy To Israel
Image by Getty Images
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.”
A message from our editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren
We're building on 127 years of independent journalism to help you develop deeper connections to what it means to be Jewish today.
With so much at stake for the Jewish people right now — war, rising antisemitism, a high-stakes U.S. presidential election — American Jews depend on the Forward's perspective, integrity and courage.
— Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief
