Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl) last week made a passionate speech from the House floor about the significance of the archeological discoveries of ancient Jerusalem at the City of David site.
Ros-Lehtinen reaffirmed the Jewish people’s undeniable connection to the holy city as a matter of historical fact and called on fellow legislators to ensure that Jerusalem remain a bipartisan issue. She also called on other countries to follow the United States’ lead and move their embassies to Jerusalem.
“I can think of no better place than the City of David to express that the United States knows what the Jewish people have known for 3,000 years, namely that Jerusalem is the historic capital of Israel, a reality reinforced when the United States relocated its Embassy to Jerusalem earlier this year – and I call upon more countries to do the same,” she said.
Ros-Lehtinen added that “this historic bond is most evidenced by the incredible discoveries unearthed in archeological excavations throughout the City of David affirming the millennia-old connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem, not as a matter of faith, but as a matter of historical fact – despite UNESCO’s ongoing, shameful efforts to declare otherwise.”
Representative Ros-Lehtinen concluded: “During the nearly three decades I have had the honor of serving in Congress, support for Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State of Israel has been bipartisan. Today, I call upon my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats alike, to ensure that never changes; to ensure that the historic bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem remains undeniable.”
The City of David project is Israel’s largest active archaeological site, situated above the ancient city of Jerusalem, adjacent to the Western Wall.