No Democrat lawmakers attended the official opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, making it all too clear where liberals stand on U.S.-Israel relations.
Attendance at the embassy event was completely voluntary – and no Democrats chose to make the trip overseas. Republican Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dean Heller (R-NV), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as 10 Republican U.S. Representatives, made the trip. The only non-Republican present was Joe Lieberman, the independent former-senator from Connecticut.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin and Ivanka Trump also attended the event, unveiling the plaque on the new embassy building.
Standing next to Ivanka Trump, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin reveals the seal of the US embassy, making the embassy’s move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem official https://t.co/SvMeJoDE9S pic.twitter.com/9aThAZuThv
— CNN (@CNN) May 14, 2018
Speaking to the press at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem just hours before the official dedication ceremony, the Republican senators expressed disappointment in the absence of their Democrat colleagues.
“That is a sad, sad manifestation — I wish we had every member of Congress here … every member of Congress had the option before them to come,” Sen. Cruz said.
Sen. Graham reiterated that attendance was voluntary before adding that it’s dangerous for lawmakers to present a divided front when it comes to the support of Israel. “There’s too much going on in this region to send mixed signals,” he said.
As for Sen. Lieberman, he said he was “surprised” by the lack of Democrat turnout given the “broadly bipartisan” nature of the decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem.
He recalled: “I was part of the group that worked to pass the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995. There was Bob Dole and John Kyl on the Republican side, and myself and Pat Moynihan on the Democratic side, and it got 95 votes.
“I don’t want there to be a misimpression that this is a partisan act. And I would hope that Democrats understand that this is not a pro-Trump rally. It is a pro-U.S.-Israel partnership, alliance rally.”
However, the senators didn’t allow their colleagues’ absence from dampening the significance of the event. Graham called Trump’s decision to move the embassy a “strong, bold move, not just by the president but by the American people.”
Cruz added, “By moving the embassy, America simultaneously makes clear that we are willing to stand with our friends … and stand up to our enemies.”
Indeed, several presidents have promised to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, but President Donald Trump is the only one who came through on his promise. Israel is one of America’s greatest allies – it’s about time we stood up for them.
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