US ambassador to Israel tells Mark Levin why recognizing Jerusalem was 'the best thing we could have done'

Wednesday on the radio, LevinTV host Mark Levin broadcast his show from Israel, joined by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman.

Levin and Friedman reflected on President Donald Trump's relationship with Israel, particularly his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"We have a courageous president," Friedman said. "He's willing to make the right decisions; he's willing to live with the consequences. You know, there's no risk-free decision in life. Everything you do has upside and downside. Most leaders that I've witnessed get very nervous about downsides. They want to know that they can do something and there'll be no consequences, and that's just not the way life works. The president is willing to assess the situation and make a decision. When it came to ... Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights, or the JCPOA, or any of the other important decisions he made with regard to Israel, I think he recognized in all cases that there could be some blowback, there would be people that disagreed with him. But he really has the courage of his convictions, and I really give him all the credit."

Friedman explained that recognizing Jerusalem also served a strategic purpose in the United States' broader international relations.

"It was fulfilling the will of the American people, whose representatives had voted overwhelmingly for years to do this. And it sent a message to, you know, whether it's Iran, North Korea, any else of our enemies, that the president was going to stand with its allies, and it wasn't going to flinch from the threats of its enemies," he said.

Listen:

"Why important to the United States that Jerusalem be recognized as capital of Israel?" Levin asked.

Friedman explained.

"Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital is the best thing that we could have done to achieve peace in this region, because we're sending a clear message to the Palestinians: You don't have a veto on where the United States elects to build its embassy. That's our choice; it's not yours," he said.

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