Israeli President Reuven Rivlin warmly welcomed Vice President Mike Pence to Jerusalem during his trip to the Middle East on Tuesday. “You are very proud, always, to stand very firm behind your words, in words and in action,” said Rivlin. “And for that, we have only one word to describe you: You are a mensch.”
Before heading to a bilateral meeting, the two leaders sat down for a press conference — and Rivlin had nothing but praise for both Pence and President Trump, particularly for the decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
“Now, in America, probably they know what is the meaning of mensch,” said Rivlin. “But for those people in Israel who doesn’t know American, or Yiddish, I would say, a mensch is a real human being. And we are very proud to have you along with us.”
Rivlin spoke about growing up in Jerusalem before praising the United States’ decision to recognize the city as Israel’s capital.
“But we are so very proud as Jerusalemites about the decision of President Trump, about recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said.
Pence echoed those sentiments by stressing the alliance between Israel and the United States.
“Let me say that President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital we hope is the clearest sign yet of the unwavering commitment of the United States of America to Israel,” the Vice President said. “As I announced yesterday, Mr. President, President Trump has directed our State Department, working with Ambassador Friedman, to complete the transition of moving our embassy here, to Jerusalem, by the end of next year. And we look forward to that as a tangible sign of our enduring commitment and alliance to the State of Israel and to the people of this great nation.”
He continued, “The bond between us, we believe, has never been stronger. But under President Trump’s leadership, we are committed to make it stronger still. We have ties through our deep commitment to freedom, shared values, but also through commerce.”
You can watch the press conference below: