Netanyahu likens Trump’s Jerusalem move to Israel founding, Balfour Declaration

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is one of the key events in the Jewish state’s history, comparing it to some of the most important milestones in the country’s establishment.

“There are major moments in the history of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the state, the liberation of Jerusalem and Trump’s announcement yesterday,” says Netanyahu in a video published on social media.

“I told him: ‘My friend the president, you are going to make history.’ Yesterday, he made history,” he adds.

Netanyahu says Trump’s decision was embraced by Israelis of all stripes and quoted a religious verse to invoke the Jewish people’s long-held emotional attachment to the city.

“This is a festive and unifying moment, for the right, the left, religious, secular,” he says. “We are making Jerusalem our chief joy.”