Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman arrived on Wednesday night at the Kosel in order to daven Maariv at the same time that the inauguration ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden was taking place in Washington.

Ambassador Friedman came with his wife Tammy and was accompanied by the Kosel Rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and his wife, and the CEO of the Kotel Heritage Society Mordechai Eliav.

For Friedman, this was an act of closure. When Friedman arrived to take his post as the Ambassador, four years ago, the first thing he did was to travel to the Kosel to daven. Friedman said: “This is a very emotional moment for me. From the first time that I arrived in Israel in 1971 for my Bar Mitzvah and until now, my last official day as the U.S. Ambassador, my heart has always been in Jerusalem.”

Friedman also said that one of the highlights of his job was that it allowed him to come each year and participate as a Cohen in Birkas HaCohanim on Chol Hamoed, and that he hopes to continue to do so in the future.

Friedman spent his last week visiting important places around the city to bid his farewell as the outgoing Ambassador. Among the places he visited were the Knesset, United Hatzalah headquarters, and the City of David.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)