ALEXANDRIA, Virginia – 60 Plus Association National Spokesman Pat Boone issued the following statement in response to the decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

“In announcing plans to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, President Trump did much more than keep a campaign promise. He kept the promise of America to the world. 

“For 70 years, American presidents and leaders from both parties have promised to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a diplomatic action that unequivocally affirms the sovereignty of a nation. President Trump’s historic proclamation does just that. 

“Having spent a great deal of time visiting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the people of Israel over many years, I know how deeply meaningful this is to Israelis and Jews around the world. Jerusalem has been the historic, cultural and religious center of Judaism for thousands of years and the importance of having this recognized diplomatically by the United States is gratifying beyond words.

“Peace in the Middle East is elusive and remains so today. But in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Donald Trump and the United States have taken a substantial yet fundamental step in advancing the peace process. The pursuit of peace begins with a recognition of sovereignty among the nations involved, and that is what the president’s announcement does.”

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Note to Editors: Pat Boone authored the title song for the 1960 film The Exodus, which won the Academy Award for Best Music/Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture