Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), Ranking Member of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, issued this statement following the official opening of the United States Embassy in Israel's capital Jerusalem:

“Jerusalem is the historic capital of the Jewish people and will always be the capital of the modern state of Israel. Moving our embassy to Jerusalem reflects what Congress stated over 20 years ago and what is reality, and I welcome today’s dedication ceremony.

“Our relationship with Israel is one of our most important and strategic alliances, and our decisions and actions in the region must be taken with Israel’s security and prosperity in mind.

“We must not lose sight of the goal of two states for two peoples living side by side in peace and security. Only direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians can lead to peace, and Palestinian calls for violence and support of terrorism push peace further out of reach.

“As Ranking Member of the Middle East Subcommittee, I look forward to working closely with my colleagues, Administration officials, and our allies to support lasting peace and prosperity for Israel and the Palestinian people. While I wasn’t there today, I would have loved to have participated in this historic and moving embassy dedication. Despite reaching out to the Administration, I was not invited to be a part of the official American delegation, but I look forward to visiting our embassy in Jerusalem next month.”