Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) today issued the following statement:

“Seventy years ago today, the United States was first to recognize Israel as an independent state. On this important anniversary, it’s fitting that the U.S. finally open an embassy in Israel’s self-determined capital. A bipartisan majority in Congress has been calling for this important action since the 1990s.

“Israel is one of our closest security partners. The United States will not allow it to be isolated. Nor will we stand by idly as its enemies seek to wipe it from the map. Together, Israelis and Americans will continue to promote peace and stability in a very dangerous region.”

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