'On God's Side': Israel Praises Trump for Keeping Promise on Embassy Transfer

The United States formally opened its new embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, with high-profile members of Trump's administration and members of his family, but not Trump himself, in attendance for a grand ceremony including 700 guests, including Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The festive ceremony, held amid violent protests by Palestinians which have already claimed nearly 40 lives, including a 14-year-old boy, and wounded hundreds more, 27 critically, included a congratulatory video message from President Trump, who didn't attend the ceremony.

The president called the embassy move a "long time coming," and boasted that the new embassy's opening comes "many, many years ahead of schedule."

Trump 'Kept His Promise'

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin praised Trump for keeping a promise often made by US presidential candidates in the past. "The Israeli people thank you for keeping your word, for your courage, for your determination," he said.

A visibly jubilant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sat next to Ivanka Trump and presidential adviser Jared Kushner during the ceremony, said that today was a "glorious day."

"Remember this moment. This is history. President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history," Netanyahu said. "The embassy of the most powerful nation on earth, the United States of America, our greatest ally, today its embassy opened here."

"We are in Jerusalem, and we are here to stay," Netanyahu added, to loud applause. "Thank you president Trump for having the courage to keep your promises."

'US Can Be Trusted'

Trump son-in-law and foreign policy adviser Jared Kushner echoed Rivlin's sentiment regarding Trump, adding that the embassy move was a demonstration of "American leadership."

"By moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted," Kushner said. Kushner also made reference to the US withdrawal from the Iran deal, which he called "dangerous and once sided."

Monday's ceremony included a dual-language musical performance of Hallelujah and Peace Will Yet Come to Us All, as well as several prayers, including by controversial Southern Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress, who offered a prayer for Trump, and praised God and Jesus. "We thank you every day that you have given us a president who boldly stands on the right side of history, but more importantly on the right side of you oh God when it comes to Israel," he said.

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Then came a brief glimmer of hope... at least for me. Justin Trudeau, the son of Pierre Elliot, became prime minister in late 2015, defeating the by then widely hated Mr. Harper. The Liberals campaigned amongst other items on better relations with the Russian Federation. Stéphane Dion, a sensible intellectual, former leader of the Liberal party and former professor of political science at the Université de Montréal, became minister for external affairs. He indicated his intention to improve relations with Russia, but nothing came of it, and he was sacked in January 2017.

Chrystia Freeland, a Ukrainian-Canadian and former journalist with a long list of anti-Russian articles under her by-line, succeeded Dion. Freeland's grandfather was a mid-level Nazi collaborator in German occupied Poland, whose life Freeland celebrates. Sins of the fathers, or grandfathers, should not of course be visited upon their descendants, unless they want to boast of them. Ms. Freeland's Ukrainian "nationalism" leads her to turn a blind-eye to her grandfather's Nazi collaboration, and to the fascist torchlight parades in putschist Kiev. I sarcastically referred to her as the Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs in Ottawa.

Freeland's Russophobia makes her persona non grata in the Russian Federation. Trudeau appointed her to External Affairs, surely knowing of her background and her hatred of Russia and its president Vladimir Putin. One can only conclude that Trudeau decided to abandon his campaign promise to improve relations with Russia, and to revert to Harper's foreign policy.

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