Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman attended a ceremony Thursday evening at the Western Wall to light the 5th Hanukkah candle together with lone soldiers.

Prime Minister Netanyahu: “There is a great victory here: The great persistence and continuity of our people, which overcomes all rules of history by the power of our faith and our will. Today we are celebrating 70 years since the revival of the State of Israel. The power of this spirit finds expression across the world in the rising status of Israel, in the special strength that emanates from here throughout the Middle East, Arab and Muslim states, here in the Middle East, in Africa, in Asia and in other places, that want our proximity, our peace and relations with us. Here I must add the tremendous support that we receive from the US government and from President Donald Trump. Exactly one year ago he made a historic decision because it has historical importance and because it recognized history. Peace cannot be advanced on the basis of lies and a policy based on lies is doomed to crash on the rocks of reality. President Trump, in a brave and genuine move, recognized what we know to have existed here not only since the Maccabees, but since the time of King David, 800 years before. In the recognition of Jerusalem, of our heritage and the link that that no other people and no other city have, President Trump simply spoke the truth, and truth is the basis for everything and the basis for peace.”