An Israeli nongovernmental organization announced Friday it will feature President Trump’s face on a symbolic coin that celebrates the Middle Eastern country’s 70th anniversary of independence in honor of the U.S. Embassy’s move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this month.
The Mikdash Educational Center, a nonprofit educational and religious group, announced the tribute to Trump and America this week, days ahead of the new embassy’s opening May 14.
“President Trump is starting a prophetic process by moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem. Just like King Cyrus 2,500 years ago said: ‘he charged me to build a house in Jerusalem’, here again, President Trump is building a house in Jerusalem,” Rabbi Mordechai Persoff said in a statement.
On the front side of the coin, Trump’s images will be set next to that of King Cyrus, a king from the Bible who permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylonia.
The U.S. government crest and that of the Persian Temple are also on the front side of the coin. The back shows a dove with an olive branch in its mouth as it flies over a temple.
The coin will be sold in a gold-plated version, as well as a pewter one plated in silver, for the equivalence of $72 and $49, respectively. The collector’s items are not official Israeli currency. Only 1,000 half-shekel coins have been minted.
“This special coin was produced and minted for the 70 years of the independence of the State of Israel and to honor and praise President Donald Trump who promised, but not only promised, also fulfilled his promise and next week will move the American Embassy to Jerusalem,” the rabbi added.
Trump announced in December he would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The move had been projected to take years, but is happening this month. Trump said he saved U.S. taxpayers nearly $1 billion and sped up the process by renovating an existing building instead of buying land and building a new facility.
