Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein was the first to speak to the plenum ahead of the speech Monday afternoon by visiting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
Edelstein thanked the vice president as a representative of the Trump administration for the December 6 declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, calling it the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.
“More than any other country in the world, the United States is a loyal partner in this historic project,” Edelstein said.
“I know that in what little spare time you have, you like to read the words of the prophets, and now you can see them coming true.
“The City of David is rebuilt, and we are again guarding our walls. You’ve said it’s not coincidental; we are bound together by the values and aspirations based on our basic beliefs of liberty, Biblical tradition and peace.”
Edelstein added that there are two longstanding lies being spread regarding the peace process:
1. The Israeli-Palestinian Authority conflict is the core problem in the Middle East, and not the threat of the Iranian regime.
2. The weaker side is right, and the stronger side is wrong.
Both of these lies, said Edelstein, are being reversed by the Trump administration. “The era of lies will make way for the era of truth,” he said.