Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the joint Knesset-Congress event on Wednesday marking the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification. Photo: Amos Ben Gershom / GPO.

JNS.org – The Israeli Knesset and US Congress on Wednesday jointly marked the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification during the Six-Day War in an event broadcast simultaneously to both legislatures.

“After thousands of years in exile, the Jewish people are finally back home,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said. “Home in the land of their ancestors. Home in the land that so many have died to defend. And home in their city of Jerusalem, the eternal capital never to be divided again.”

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein called on President Donald Trump to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which would implement congressional legislation passed in 1995. Since then, every sitting US president has signed successive six-month waivers delaying the embassy relocation.

“Looking around the world, and especially at this region, one thing becomes crystal clear: Only Israeli sovereignty will ensure that the city’s holy sites remain open, free and safe for members of every religion,” Edelstein said. “I therefore call upon the administration to follow the lead set by the House and Senate and recognize Jerusalem as the official and unquestioned capital of the state of Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about his experiences growing up in a divided Jerusalem from 1948-1967.

“Why do I say Jerusalem will never be divided again? Because I remember what it was like when it was divided,” Netanyahu explained. “It was a wounded, divided city that had no future.”

“We came back. We united the city…We ensured that Jerusalem was a free city for all,” he added.

Watch a video of the event below: