After President Trump’s historic speech in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, the President and his wife Melania traveled to Israel where they met with both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.
After meeting with the two Israeli leaders, President Trump made history, becoming the first sitting United States President to visit the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest locations.
A solemn moment as Pres Trump places a prayer note into the Western Wall. (Pool photo @W7VOA) pic.twitter.com/x6oQoEDiuq
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 22, 2017
From NBC News:
The historic visit is part of Trump’s efforts to highlight “the need for unity among three of the world’s great religions” on his first foreign trip, senior administration officials said. Trump’s stop at the Western Wall came between Sunday’s visit to Saudi Arabia where he called on Muslim leaders to “drive out the terrorists and extremists,” and his forthcoming visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Trump, joined by First Lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, visited the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before the Western Wall.
The Western Wall is not officially recognized as Israeli territory, and the Trump administration has not been clear about whether they believe the holy site is part of Israel.
George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama each visited the Western Wall as private citizens or candidates. None of them was accompanied by an Israeli prime minister, and current Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu did not join Trump for his visit. The two leaders and their wives will have dinner at Netanyahu’s residence Monday evening.
President Trump is a very strong supporter of Israel, and his appearance at the Western Wall shows the tremendous respect he has for the Jewish people. Unlike Barack Obama, President Trump has shown his steadfast support for our strongest ally in the Middle East.
Check out the moment when Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed President Trump to Israel:
During the past 8 years, the Obama administration had a contentious relationship with Israel, with the President refusing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited Washington, D.C.
In contrast, President Trump has actively reached out to Netanyahu, helping to build a strong relationship that had been severely damaged by Obama. While visiting the Western Wall is mainly a symbolic gesture, it will go a long way in helping to reassure Israel that the United States will always have her back.
Do you think President Trump history-making visit to the Western Wall symbolizes his commitment to Israel? Share your thoughts below!