American Zionist Movement President applauds the President’s announcement on Jerusalem as “a bold act in the spirit of Zionism that rectifies a historic wrong”
(Wednesday, December 6, 2017) – The President of the American Zionist Movement (AZM) Richard D. Heideman has applauded and welcomed President Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel saying that it is consistent with America’s recognition of capitals of nations throughout the world.
“This announcement is a bold act in the spirit of Zionism that rectifies a historic wrong and is a proper recognition of Jerusalem’s millennia-old status as the capital of Israel and the Jewish People,” Heideman said. “This is an important recognition of Jerusalem as the center of the legitimate national, ancestral and indigenous claims of the Jewish people.”
“While we cannot and should not ignore Jerusalem’s significance to Christianity and Islam, no other people, except the people of Israel, have ever had Jerusalem as their political and national capital. President Trump has recognized this fact which should be welcomed around the world. For those who choose to threaten consequences, they should be ashamed to do so, for in every country in the world the United States recognizes the capital of the nation as that chosen by its people.”
The American Zionist Movement (AZM), including 25 national Zionist organizations, representing millions of Americans, officially represents American Zionists in the World Zionist Organization and works across a broad ideological, political and religious spectrum linking the American Jewish community together in support of Israel, Zionism and the Jewish People.
“As Zionists, while we may have many diverging opinions and disagreements on many issues, Jerusalem is central to our ideology,” said Herbert Block, Executive Director of the AZM. “Zion, meaning Jerusalem, is the focal point of our national, religious and political culture as Jews so when people recognize Jerusalem, they recognize an essential tenet of Jewish peoplehood. For committed Zionists in America there has never been any doubt about the importance of Jerusalem in our connection to Israel. When Theodor Herzl launched the modern Zionist movement 120 years ago the Hatikvah was adopted as our anthem and it concludes with a yearning ‘to be a free nation in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem’.
Block further stated “All our AZM members, consisting of millions of Americans, endorse the Jerusalem Program, the official platform of the World Zionist Organization and the Zionist movement, which notes that the first foundation of Zionism is ‘the unity of the Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael, and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of the nation’. Therefore we welcome a decision that recognizes what we as Zionists have long acknowledged.”
Heideman concluded “Every sovereign nation should determine what city is their national capital and seat of government. Israel’s designated Capital is Jerusalem. Therefore all nations, including the United States – the first nation to recognize the State of Israel in 1948 – should recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel and have their Embassy in the capital city.”