Judea and Samaria Leaders Invited to Official Fourth of July Celebration for First Time

As Israel participates in celebrations of the American Independence Day, leaders from Judea and Samaria are invited to join in.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman invited several leaders of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria to the annual US Independence Day Reception, hosted by Friedman and his wife Tammy at their residence in Herzliya on Monday.

This was the first time Israeli leaders from Judea and Samaria were invited to the event, highlighting a pro-Israel shift in policy from previous administrations.

“It’s an interesting change of approach to Judea and Samaria by the American government, which until [President Donald] Trump’s election definitely placed [Judea and Samaria] outside of the fence [of acceptability],” the Samaria Regional Council said in a statement.

Among the leaders invited to the July Fourth celebration were Avi Ro’eh, head of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria; Yossi Dagan, leader of the Samaria Regional Council; Ma’aleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel; Ariel Mayor Eli Shaviro; and Oded Revivi, chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, a coordinating body for the municipal councils in Judea and Samaria.

Israeli leaders from Judea and Samaria were also invited to President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

Freidman is a noted supporter of the communities in Judea and Samaria.

Israel Celebrates with America

President Reuven Rivlin also attended the annual US Independence Day Reception

Rivlin expressed his warm wishes to Trump and all the American people. He extended the special wishes of his wife, First Lady Nechama Rivlin, to First Lady Melania Trump.

“For so many of us in Israel, this day is a special day, to celebrate democracy,” Rivlin said.

Rivlin and Freidman spoke of the strength of the relationship between Israel and the US, and of the strong cooperation in many fields, especially security.

Freidman told Rivlin of his visit earlier in the day to the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier, docked in Haifa.

He noted that “of all the relationships, I have never seen anything like the relationship between the [Israeli and US] soldiers and militaries. There is a great level of respect and mutual appreciation.”

By: United with Israel Staff
JNS.org contributed to this report.