A day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat called on Israelis to express thanks to the president-elect for his stated support of the Jewish state and his pledge to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“After eight difficult years, a true friend is entering the White House,” Barkat — the 57-year-old Likud member who is reportedly planning to enter the national political scene when his current term as mayor ends in 2018 — said in a statement. “Together with the citizens of Israel, I congratulate President Donald Trump on his election to president of the United States and leader of the free world.”

“This call to Israel’s citizens is a reaction to our enemies who are trying to prevent the move of the embassy and wish us ill,” Barkat went on to say. “I am reaching out to the entire spectrum of Israeli society — together, we will remind Washington that Israel remains its greatest friend and closest ally.”

In a video published on Wednesday, Barkat said the outgoing Obama administration “pushed for a building settlement freeze,” “surrendered to the Iranians and radical Islam” and “abandoned Israel to a hostile UN resolution.”

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Referring to Trump, Barkat said, “Let’s all welcome him together — as our friend.”

In 2015, Barkat — a veteran of the Paratroopers Brigade — gained widespread attention when he heroically subdued an Arab terrorist who had just stabbed a Haredi man near City Hall in Jerusalem.

Watch Barkat’s video below: