JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence addressed the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Monday, giving a strong pro-Israeli speech and promising the controversial relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be completed in less than two years.

Lawmakers with the Arab-Jewish Joint List were escorted out of the plenum hall after they pulled out posters with a caption reading "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine" and a photo of East Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound.

The Joint List, Israel's third largest faction, said in advance that it will boycott Pence's speech to protest the White House's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The address, which took place on the second day of Pence's visit in Israel, was interrupted also by repeated standing ovations.

It marked the first time that a vice president has addressed the Knesset and was broadcast on all main television and radio channels in Israel.

"I am here to convey a simple message from the heart of the American people: The American people stand with Israel," Pence said, as lawmakers and hundred guests in the hall stood and applauded him.

"Thanks to the president's leadership, the alliance between our two countries has never been stronger," Pence said.

He reiterated U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and vowed that the controversial move of relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem would be completed before the end of 2019.

【国际英语资讯:U.S. Pence assures Israel to relocate embassy to Jerusalem by end-2019】相关文章：

★ 制造更加轻便灵活的防弹衣

★ 格鲁吉亚给日本的教训

★ 美国人喜好调查：最爱披头士最恨慢车

★ 怎样度过浪漫情人节（双语）

★ 人民币国际交易中心争夺战

★ 美选战不断抨击中国 中国开始反击

★ 美国共和党抵制对投资所得增税

★ 土耳其迫使叙利亚客机降落搜缴“违禁货物”

★ 美股或迎来2010年以来盈利最差财季

★ 美国将加强与欧盟经济合作