Fox News correspondent Conor Powell tweeted a Fake News report Monday night that was so blatantly anti-Israel, it prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to authorize publication by his office of a transcript from his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington this past February.
Everyone I've spoken to in DC that has been briefed on embassy move says told not to move embassy at this time https://t.co/z7fAjuJiib
— Conor Powell (@ConormPowell) May 15, 2017
Netanyahu stated bluntly in a release to journalists Monday night, “The claims posted by a Fox News correspondent are false.”
His office included quotes from summaries of Netanyahu’s meetings with Trump on February 17, by Jacob Nagel:
“From the meeting in the Oval Office: ‘The embassy – the PM supports moving it.’
“From the lunch meeting at the White House: ‘The PM was asked about the embassy and explained [that moving it] would not lead to bloodshed in the region, as some were trying to intimidate [President Trump] into believing.’
“From a summary of a meeting between Ambassador Dermer and National Security Advisor-designate Flynn on January 16, 2017 (by Jacob Nagel): ‘[Dermer] explained why moving the embassy would help advance peace and not the opposite. This would send the message that we are in Jerusalem to stay. Moving the embassy would force the other side to contend with the lie they’ve constructed – that Israel has no connection to Jerusalem – and will cause them to understand that Israel will be here forever with Jerusalem as its capital.’”
The Prime Minister’s Office added in its own statement at the end of the transcript, “This is the clear and consistent position of Prime Minister Netanyahu, which he reiterated today.”
Earlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman arrived in the country to assume his new post. His first act upon reaching Israel was to travel directly to the Old City of Jerusalem, to the Western Wall, where he prayed from a Hebrew-language siddur (prayer book), before then proceeding to his next destination.
Ambassador Friedman officially begins his new duties on Tuesday. Given the current fracas his first day is certain to be filled with excitement.