Mike Pence speaking at the Knesset, January 22, 2017 Image by Getty Images

By Nathan Guttman January 22, 2018

To the applauds of many members of Israel’s Knesset, Vice President Mike Pence promised Monday a prompt relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel, from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem.

“In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the United States embassy in Jerusalem — and that United States embassy will open before the end of next year,” Pence said. His statement is the first public confirmation of the change in U.S. plan, driven by U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman who pushed the administration to expedite the relocation process, originally slated to take 3-4 years.

In his speech, Pence praised President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and vowed to support Israel and to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. While mentioning possible U.S. support for a two-state solution, Pence did not address Palestinian hopes for independence.

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Pence’s speech was briefly disrupted by a group of Arab members of Knesset who raised signs stating Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. The members were forcefully removed from the hall.

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman

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