stop in spain. the delegation will focus on , the campaignlity against isis and terrorism and iranian aggression. the armed services committee chair and representative buchanan, stephanie murphy and scott taylor are also along. our live coverage continuing this afternoon, we will be at the white house at 3:30 p.m. for the briefing with sarah sanders. live coverage at that time. overseas, another trip to the middle east, vice president mike pence on a trip yesterday in israelthe knesset highlighting the long-standing relationship between the u.s. and israel and president trump's decision to move the u.s. embassy to jerusalem announcing it will open at the end of 2019. [applause]

vice pres. pence: president r the supremers of court, citizens of israel. [applause] [indiscernible] [sounds of protesters]

language]foreign >> please, mr. vice president, i apologize. vice pres. pence: it is deeply humbling for me to stand before this vibrant democracy. [applause] vice pres. pence: to have a great honor to address this knesset, the first vice president of the united states to be afforded that privilege. capital jerusalem, the of the state of israel. [applause]

[applause] i brings. pence: greetings from a leader who has done more to bring our two countries together, than any president in the past 70 years. the 45th president of the united states of america, president donald trump. [applause] vice pres. pence: thanks to the president's leadership, the alliance between our countries has never been stronger. the friendship between our peoples, has never been deeper. i'm here to convey a simple message from the heart of the american people: america stands with israel. [applause]

vice pres. pence: we stand with israel because your cause is our cause. your values are our values. your fight is our fight. we stand with israel as we believe in right over wrong. in good over evil. in liberty over tyranny. we stand with israel because, that is what americans have always done, so has it been since my country's earliest days. during his historic visit to jerusalem, president trump declared that the bond between " wovenis words, together in the hearts of our people." the people of the united states have always held a special affection and admiration for the people of the book. wethe story of the jews,

have always seen the story of america. nt is the story of a exodus, persecution to freedom. a story that shows the power of faith and the promise of hope. first settlersry saw themselves as pilgrims. sent by providence, to build a new promised land. the songs and stories of the people of israel were there , they faithfully taught them to our children and due to this day. our founders turned to the wisdom of the hebrew bible for direction, guidance and inspiration. america's first president george washington wrote with favor to the children of the stock of abraham. our second president, john adams, declared the jews in his

words, had done more to civilize man than any other nation. your story inspired my forebears to create what our 16th president called a new birth of freedom. through the generations, the american people became fierce advocates of the jewish people's aspiration to return to the land of your forefathers. [applause] vice pres. pence: to claim your own birth of freedom. in your beloved homeland. the jewish people held fast to a promise through all the ages, written so long ago. even if you had been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from their, he would gather and bring you back to the land which are fathers possessed. exile, the000 year longest of any people anywhere,

through conquest and expulsions, inquisitions, the jewish people held on to this promise. they held onto it through the longest and darkest of nights. , "7 times sealed, a night that transformed the small faces of children into smoke under a silent sky. a night that consumed the fate of so many, the challenges that they so many still. tomorrow when i stand with my wife to honor the 6 million jewish martyrs of the holocaust, we will marvel at the faith and resilience of your people. who, just three years after

walking beneath the shadow of death, rose up from the ashes, to resurrect yourselves. to reclaim a jewish future and to rebuild the jewish state. [applause] vice pres. pence: this april, we will mark the day when the jewish people answered that ancient question: can a country be born in one day? can a nation be born in a moment? as the state of israel celebrates the 70th anniversary of his birth -- of its [applause] pence: as you prepare to commemorate this historic milestone, i say, along

with the good people of israel, here and around the world -- [speaking foreign language] [applause] [applause] vice pres. pence: 70 years ago, the united states was proud to

be the first nation in the world to recognize the state of israel. as you well know, the work we began on that day was left unfinished. for while the united states recognized your nation, one administration after another refused to recognize your capital. , presidentst month donald trump made history. year wrong. 70 he kept his word to the american people when he announced the united states of america will finally acknowledge jerusalem is israel's capital. [applause] vice pres. pence: the jewish people's unbreakable bond to the sacred city reaches back more than 3000 years. it was here in jerusalem that abraham offered his son isaac and was credited with

righteousness for his faith in god. it was here in jerusalem the king david consecrated the capital of the kingdom of israel. and since its rebirth, the modern state of israel has called this city the seeds of its -- jerusalem as israel's capital. trump hasresident directed the state department to immediately begin preparations to move the united states embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem. [applause]

in the weeks ahead, our administration will advance the plan to open united dates embassy in jerusalem. and that united states embassy will open before the end of next year. [applause] vice pres. pence: our president , and hisdecision words, in the best interest of the united dates. thate also made it clear we believe his decision is in the best interest of peace.

by finally recognizing jerusalem as israel's capital, the united states has chosen fact over fiction. and fact is the only foundation for a just and lasting peace. under president trump, the united states of america remains fully committed to achieve a lasting peace between israelis and palestinians. in announcing his decision on jerusalem, the president also called, in his words, on all parties to maintain the status sites.jerusalem's holy and he made it clear that we are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the israeli sovereignty in jerusalem

or the resolution of contested borders. and president trump reaffirmed , theif both sides agree united states of america will support a two state solution. [applause] now, we know israelis want peace. and we know that israelis need no lectures on the price of war. the people of israel know the terrible price all too well. your prime minister knows that price. he himself was nearly killed in battle. and his beloved brother was killed while courageously leading the hostage rescue 41 years ago.

and you who know the price of war know best what the blessings of the skin bring. to you. to your children, and future generations. the united states appreciates your governments declared willingness to resume direct peace negotiations with palestinian authority. and today, we strongly urge the palestinian leadership to return to the table. peace can only come through dialogue. [applause] we recognize that peace will require compromise. but you can be confident in this. the united states of america will never compromise the safety and security of the state of israel.

any peace agreement must guarantee israel's ability to defend itself by itself. believee those that that the world can change. that we are destined to engage in endless violence. that age-old conflicts can't be resolved. and that hope itself is an allusion. illusion. president trump doesn't believe it. i don't believe it. and neither do you. in a city that the very name means piece. i know peace is possible.

it is difficult to achieve peace with neighbors in the past. over the past few days, i have traveled to egypt and jordan. two nations with whom israel has long enjoyed the fruits of these. i spoke with america's great friends of egypt and king abdullah of jordan. they have forged an end to conflict with israel in their time. and those two leaders prove every day that the trust and confidence can be a reality among the great nations that call these ancient lands home. in my time with those leaders and with your prime minister, we discussed the remarkable transformation that is taking place across the middle east today. and the need to forge a new era of cooperation in our day and age. the winds of change can already be witnessed across the middle east.

mong standing are becoming partners. old foes are finding new ground for cooperation. and the descendents of isaac and ishmael are coming together in common cause. last year in saudi arabia, president trump addressed in unprecedented gathering of leaders of more than 50 nations at the islamic american summit. he challenged the region to work closer together to confront shared challenges. meeting history's great test and conquering extremism, vanquishing the fortress -- forces of terrorism together. [applause] islamic terrorism knows no borders. targeting america.

israel. it nations in the middle east and the entire world. stealing the lives of jews, christians, and especially muslims. and radical islamic terrorism understands no reality other than brute force. together with our allies, we will continue the full force of drive radical islamic terrorism from the face of the earth. from our forces and their allies at this very moment, isis is on the run. their capital has fallen, their so-called caliphate has crumbled, and you can be assured we will not rest. we will not relent until we hunt down and destroy isis at its source. can no longer threaten our people, our allies, or our way of life. [applause]

the unitedpence: states and israel have long confront ther to evil of terrorism. across the middle east, arab leaders have responded as well to the president's call to root out radicalism and improve the emptiness of the apocalyptic thomases. we will continue to stand with our allies and stand up to our enemies are you will work with for theur partners funding and the a lore of the craven ideology. as theyfaith leaders teach their disciples to practice love. help persecuted people that suffer so much at the hands of isis and other terrorist groups.

this end, the u.s. has redirected funding from an effective relief efforts and for providingtime, support to christians and other religious minorities as they rebuild communities after years of oppression and war. the u.s. has already committed more than $110 million to assist christian and other religious minorities across the wider middle east. and we urge allies in israel and -- in to join us across this cause. restorerk together to the split of religious diversity across the middle east. so that enemies may not flourish in the lands they were born. [applause] as we work toce:

defeat the scourge of terrorism and give aid to those that have suffered, we must also be vigilant tobe prevent old adversaries from gaining any new ground. and with nations across the world to confront the leading states of terror, the islamic republic of iran. [applause] vice pres. pence: as the world has seen once again, the brutal regime in iran. a dictatorship that seeks to dominate. history has proven that those the dominate their own people rarely stop there.

that regime sows chaos across the region. iran devoted $4 billion to lebanon and elsewhere. and worst of all, the regime has a nuclear program and at this very hour is developing advanced ballistic missiles. the previous administration signed a deal with iran that that thatays the day regime can acquire a nuclear weapon. the iran nuclear deal is a disaster. and the united states of america will no longer certify this ill-conceived agreement.

[applause] direction,t trump's we are working to enact effective and lasting restraints on iran's nuclear ballistic missile programs. sanctions to waved get the congress and our european allies to pass stronger measures. as president trump made clear, this is the last time. unless the iran nuclear deal is fixed, president trump has said the united states will withdraw from the iran nuclear deal immediately.

[applause] vice pres. pence: whatever the outcome of those negotiations today, i have a solemn promise. to all the middle east and the world. the united states of america will never allow iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. [applause] vice pres. pence: beyond the nuclear deal, we will also no longer tolerate iran's support of terrorism or the brutal attempts to suppress its own people.

administration tripled the number of sanctions targeting iran and its leaders. tough new sanctions. but i have another message today. a better message. from the people of america to the proud and great people of iran. we are your friends. and the day is coming when you will be free from the evil regime that suffocates your dreams and buries her hopes. [applause] and when your day of liberation finally comes, we say to the good people of iran, the

friendship between our peoples will blossom once again. [applause] at times, itnce: may seem hard to see. it those that call the middle east their home have more that unites them then divides them. only a common thread it but in the common hope for security and prosperity and peace. ancestry ofommon faith. nearly 4000 years ago, a man left his home to travel here, to israel. he ruled no empire. he wore no crown.

he commanded no armies. miracles.med no it delivered no prophecies. but to him, it was promise. numerous as the stars of its kind. today, jews, christians, and muslims, more than half the population of the earth, and nearly all the people of the abraham as claim therefore father in faith. in the old city of jerusalem, we of these greatrs religions in constant contact with one another. we see each faith come to life in new and renewed ways every day. but the church of the holy sepulcher, we see a christian child receiving grace.

at the western wall, we see a young jewish boy being bar mitzvahed. and at the wrong house reef, we see young muslims had bound in prayer. in jerusalem, we see all this and more. and so as i stand in abraham's promised land, i believe that all the cherish freedom and seek a brighter future should cast their eyes here to this place. and marvel at what they behold. birth?ikely was israel's how more unlikely has been her survival? and how confounding and against her thriving.een in sickness and in health.

and you turn hope into a future. israel is like a tree that has grown deep roots in the soil of your forefathers. as it grows, it reaches ever closer to the heavens. today and every day. the jewish state of israel bear witness to god's faithfulness as well as your own. it was the faith of the jewish people that gathered the scattered fragments of a people and make them whole again. the language of the bible and the landscape of the live again.ade them and it was faith that rebuild the ruins of jerusalem and made them strong again. the miracle of israel is an .nspiration the united states is proud to stand with israel and their people.

[applause] vice pres. pence: and so we will pray for the peace of jerusalem. it that those who love you be secure that there be peace within your walls and security in your citadels. strive for work and that brighter future where everyone who calls this ancient land their home shall sit under their vine and fig tree and none shall make them afraid. bond and ourkable freedom,mmitment to

may god bless the jewish people. god bless the state of israel and all who call these lands. in may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] israeli national newspaper showing vice president pence in the old city of jerusalem and reporting it took place without the presence of any israeli political leaders. the vice president met with the vice president. here are their joint remarks.