National Archives This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Foreign Policy

The United States and Israel: A History in Pictures

3 minute read

The May 14, 1948, communication to President Harry Truman announcing the establishment of a Jewish state invoked the “deep bond of sympathy” between the United States and the Jewish people.

The United States recognized Israel as an independent state on that same day, making it the first nation to do so.

In the 70 years that have followed, Israel has remained America’s most reliable partner in the Middle East, bound closely by historic and cultural ties, as well as by mutual interests.

Six U.S. presidents have traveled to Israel, most recently President Trump. On his May 2017 trip, he met with President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visited the Western Wall and Yad Vashem.

On the occasion of the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel, here are some images marking important moments in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

This post originally appeared on the U.S. Department of State’s ShareAmerica platform.