Earlier this week, President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and his wife Sara to the white house. This was the Prime Minister’s second visit since Trump has taken office. It was quite a difference from the treatment Netanyahu received under the previous administration. It is quite evident that these leaders are far more amicable and have a working relationship, contrary to the previous president.
In the short joint conference that they held Netanyahu offered the following words to Trump:
“I want to tell you that the Jewish people have a long memory, so we remember the proclamation of the great king, Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, 2,500 years ago. He proclaimed that the Jewish exiles in Babylon could come back and rebuild our Temple in Jerusalem. We remember a hundred years ago, Lord Balfour, who issued the Balfour Proclamation that recognized the rights of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland. We remember 70 years ago, President Harry S. Truman was the first leader to recognize the Jewish state. And we remember how a few weeks ago, President Donald J. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Mr. President, this will be remembered by our people through the ages.”
This is a very true fact that I don’t believe has received ample attention. Throughout world history there have been many dictators, monarchs, religions, and other groups that have mistreated, victimized, oppressed, tyrannized, persecuted and attempted to completely annihilate our people. And we have customs and traditions to remember the evil that they unsuccessfully attempted to unleash on our people. We recently celebrated Purim where we celebrate the overturning of the evil Haman’s decree to kill every Jewish person. We also have tradition to erase and obliterate his name by making noise every time it is mentioned in the Megillah.
Similarly, throughout world history there have been, albeit far less, world leaders who have acted favorably towards the Jewish people and have always been remembered for a blessing. In the famous piyut, Shoshanas Yaakov that we are accustomed to sing after the Megillah is read, we conclude: “And Charvona should be remembered for good.” As the Prime Minister said, we remember the great Persian king, Cyrus the Great, and honor him as a dignified and righteous king. Many pesukim in the Neviyim Yeshaya and Ezra speak testimony of Hashem’s high praise of the righteous king who allowed the Jews to begin to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. These words are part of our eternal Torah. What greater honor can there be?
For many decades now, every U.S. President has utilized a waiver so as not to move the embassy to Jerusalem and not to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state of Israel. Donald J. Trump was the president who so boldly took that action and recognized and proclaimed Jerusalem as the capitol of the Jewish state of Israel and has plans to move the embassy in as little as a few months! This righteous world leader is due tremendous recognition.
Shame on all those who cannot recognize when they have such tremendous blessing right in front of their face. For acts such as these this President should always be remembered for a blessing. May God continue to give him the strength to continue on this righteous path, amen.