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JERUSALEM -- Vice President Mike Pence addressed the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, on Monday, strongly reaffirming the United States' unwavering commitment to its Middle Eastern ally and lauding his boss, President Donald Trump, for righting "a 70-year wrong" with his contentious decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of the Jewish state. Pence told the gathered lawmakers that Mr. Trump had kept "his word to the American people" in recognizing Jerusalem.

But in spite of Pence's assertion that the U.S. remains "fully committed to achieving a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Jerusalem move has left the two key parties to the already flailing peace process further apart than they have been in years. The Palestinians are boycotting Mr. Pence's visit to the region over the dramatic pivot away from decades of U.S. foreign policy.

Pence committed in his speech to the Knesset to seeing the U.S. Embassy in Israel moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and reopened next year -- shortening the schedule on what has been another massive bone of contention with the Palestinians and the wider Arab world.

While Pence's declaration of a quicker move into a new embassy is sure to heighten the frustration of Palestinians and America's Arab allies, it also highlights differing opinions within the Trump administration. CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan reports that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has yet to sign off on the safety plans to approve what Pence announced in Jerusalem.

He will do so, reports Brennan, when he's sure that safety and security concerns are met. Administration officials say Tillerson and Pence are on the same page, despite the coordination issue with the announcement. Brennan reported last week that the decision to shorten the timeline for the move was made at the urging of Jared Kushner and his team, largely for political reasons and against the advice of the State Department, which is responsible for the security of U.S. personnel abroad.

President Trump's deputy kicked off his first visit to Israel by meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. In spite of the fact that he flew into the Middle East on a wave of Palestinian anger over the Trump administration's unilateral recognition of the holy city as Israel's capital, Pence declared his hope that the world was witnessing "the dawn of a new era" in stagnant peace talks which have daunted politicians across the planet for decades.

CBS News Radio correspondent Robert Berger reports Pence was to hold two days of talks with Israeli leaders and visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem's disputed Old City, but the centerpiece of his visit to Israel was his speech to the Knesset.

He has received a warm welcome in Israel, which has praised the American decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. But that decision hasinfuriated the Palestiniansandupset America's Arab alliesas well.

Meeting with Netanyahu, Pence said it was an honor to be in "Israel's capital, Jerusalem." Netanyahu told Pence it was the first time a visiting dignitary could utter those three words along with him, and he thanked Pence for Mr. Trump's "historic" recognition of Jerusalem. The Israeli leader also lauded the American-Israeli alliance, which he said has "never been stronger."

He told the Knesset that he would "strongly urge" the Palestinians to rejoin a peace dialogue.

Pence said he was grateful to be representing Mr. Trump and that his decision to designate Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would "create an opportunity to move on in good faith negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority."

The vice president said he was hopeful "we are at the dawn of a new era of renewed discussions to achieve a peaceful resolution to a decades-long conflict."

Pence will not meet with Palestinian officials, who are boycotting his visit.

Before Israel, Pence stopped in Egypt and then Jordan, where close U.S. ally King Abdullah II appealed to him to "rebuild trust and confidence" in the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following the fallout from the administration's decision on Jerusalem.

Pence, in turn, tried to reassure the monarch that the Trump administration remains committed to restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, and that it views Jordan as a central player.

The vice president said that "the United States of America remains committed, if the parties agree, to a two state solution." That caveat deviated from long-standing U.S. support for a two-state solution as the only possible outcome of any peace deal.

President Trump's pivot on Jerusalem last month infuriated the Palestinians, who seek the Israeli-annexed eastern sector of the city as a future capital. They accused the U.S. of siding with Israel and said Washington can no longer serve as a mediator.

Jerusalem is the emotional centerpiece of the long-running conflict, and Mr. Trump's policy shift set off protests and condemnation across Arab and Muslim countries. Abdullah expressed his concerns about the regional fallout from the Jerusalem decision to Pence.

"Today we have a major challenge to overcome, especially with some of the rising frustrations," he said. He described the Pence visit as a mission "to rebuild trust and confidence" in getting to a two-state solution, in which a state of Palestine would be established in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.

Another cause of concern for Jordan is the Trump administration's decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Jordan vehemently opposes such a move if taken ahead of an Israeli-Palestinian partition deal.

Israel views Jerusalem as its unified capital, but a longstanding international consensus holds that the city's final status should be decided through negotiations, which was also U.S. policy going back decades.

In this handout photo provided by the Israel Government Press Office, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (L) is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an official welcome ceremony at the Prime Minister's Office, Jan. 22, 2018 in Jerusalem, Israel.

Getty/Handout

Palestinians view Mr. Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as a blatantly one-sided move. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would not meet with Trump administration officials and called off a meeting with Pence that had been scheduled for mid-December.

Pence was to deliver a speech to the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, later Monday before holding a joint news conference with Netanyahu. The two men were then to have dinner together in Jerusalem.

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pencevisited theWestern Wallin the Old City of Jerusalem on Tuesday.Confirming Haaretz's earlier reports, Pence's visit to the site, which is located beyond the 1967 lines and therefore not recognized by the world as part of Israel, took place without the presence of any Israeli political leaders,just like the visit U.S. President Donald Trump made to the holy site in May.

During Pence's visit, female journalists accompanying the vice president were separated from their male colleagues and sent away to a fenced and covered area in the back of the Western Wall compound.

The incident provoked outrage among the American female journalists accompanying him. Following their protest, White House personnel have commenced removing the covering as part of a compromise, so the journalists could stand atop chairs and catch a view of the visit.

One of the female journalists present, Globes reporter Tal Schneider, told Haaretz: "I don't like being restricted in my job just because I'm a woman. I can't stand it and it's unacceptable in the modern world. This discriminatory attitude towards women is infuriating and inappropriate in a modern country." Other female journalists present used the #PenceFence hashtag when discussing the event on social media.

Pence was accompanied only by the rabbi in charge of the site, and the media arrangements were handled by the American embassy in Israel, not the Israeli government press office.

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As tradition prescribes, Pence inserted a note into the cracks of the wall and recited a short prayer. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Pence, together with Kotel Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, also recited Psalms 121 and 122. The foundation proceeded to gift the vice president and his wife, Karen Pence, with a handmade, stone Hanukkah menorah inscribed with the sentence, "We should know how to spread light and chase darkness from the world."

Earlier in the day, Pence met with President Reuven Rivlin, saying that President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is the clearest sign of America's commitment to Israel. He expressed hope that the decision would advance the peace process.

At a press conference before their meeting at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, the vice president said: "We believe the bond between us has never been stronger, but under President Trump's leadership, we are committed to making it stronger still."

He added that his country would continue its trade and security collaboration with Israel, and repeated his statement from Monday night that "the time has come for changes in the Iran nuclear deal that will ensure that the sunset provisions in the deal are completely eliminated, and that punitive sanctions will be available for many years to come."

Rivlin called Pence a "mensch" and said Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital was a gift for Israel's 70th independence anniversary. Rivlin added that despite the harsh remarks by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last week, Israel must continue to try to find a way to build trust between the two nations. He expressed regret that there is currently no trust between the two sides, and added that it is the fate of Israel and the Palestinians to live together.

Pence then visitedYad Vashem Holocaust Museum, where he participated in a wreath-laying ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance. Engraved on the mosaic floor of the Hall of Remembrance are the names of 22 Nazi murder sites, symbolic of the hundreds of extermination and concentration camps, transit camps and killing sites that existed throughout Europe.

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Pence's visit to Israel will draw to a close later in the afternoon, with his departure and return to the U.S. scheduled at 5:20 P.M. Originally, his trip was also supposed to include a stop in Bethlehem and a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. However, following Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, the Palestinians claimed that the U.S. is no longer a suitable mediator in the peace process and retracted Pence's invitation, saying he was no longer welcome in Palestine.

The vice president kicked off his trip to the region on Saturday, witha visit to Egypt, where he pledged firm U.S. backing to the nation's fight against militants. While in Cairo, Pence also said Trump is "firmly committed" to restarting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

In Jordan, Pence's second stop, the vice president met the country's King Abdullah,who voiced concernover Trump's recognition of Jerusalem and insisted that East Jerusalem must be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

After arriving in Israel on Sunday,Pence met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuon Monday in the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Meeting privately, Pence told Netanyahu it was a "great honor" to be in "Israel's capital, Jerusalem" and that he is hopeful "we are at the dawn of a new era" of renewed efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Later, Penceaddressed a special sessionof Knesset on Monday, where he announced that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will open by the end of 2019. In his remarks, Pence said America was committed to forging a "lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians" and called on the Palestinians who are boycotting his visit to return to the negotiating table.

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence tours the Western Wall in ...

Vice President Pence met with Egypts President Abdel Fattah Sisi on Saturday in a 2 1/2-hour session that focused, in part, on Egypts anger over President Trumps abrupt decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

We heard Al Sisi out, Pence, who is making his first official trip to the Middle East, told reporters after the meeting. He described the Egyptian leaders complaints as a disagreement between friends.

Last month, Egypt urged the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution rejecting Trumps decision on Jerusalem, which upended hopes for a negotiated peace deal with Palestinians. The U.S. vetoed the resolution, but the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a similar nonbinding resolution.

Pence is likely to hear similar concerns about Trumps Middle East policies at his next stop, in Amman, Jordan, where he arrived Saturday night for meetings with King Abdullah on Sunday. He goes to Israel after that but will not meet any Palestinian officials.

During their conversation, Pence said he told Sisi that the Trump administration would support a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians if both parties agree, long the basis for a proposed resolution of the conflict. My perception was that he was encouraged by that message, Pence said.

Pence is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Cairo since before the 2011 Arab Spring uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S.-backed strongman. Sisi, a former Army general, became president in 2014 after he helped lead a military coup in 2013 that ousted a democratically elected leader.

Pence said he and Sisi spoke about joint efforts to combat terrorism, including Egypts battle with Al Qaeda-linked insurgents in the Sinai.

The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with Egypt in their fight against terrorism in this country, he told reporters.

Pence also said he brought up U.S. concerns about religious freedom in Egypt and said Sisi assured him that he wants to promote religious diversity in Egypt.

Despite warming ties between Cairo and Washington, Sisi did not release any jailed journalists, human rights activists or other political prisoners as a goodwill gesture for Pences visit.

Pence said he had raised the plight of two Americans, Ahmed Etiwy and Moustafa Kassem, who are imprisoned in Egypt. He said Sisi assured him he would give very serious attention to both cases, although he did not offer to release them.

Etiwy, a 27-year-old student from New York, and Kassem, 52, an auto parts dealer from New York, were arrested along with hundreds of Egyptians after the 2013 military coup.

U.S. lawmakers have complained that at least 18 Americans are imprisoned in Egypt and its unclear why Pence focused on only those two.

Sisis authoritarian government has effectively banned protests and freedom of expression, jailed political opponents and conducted anti-gay persecution. In September, Human Rights Watch denounced what it called widespread and systematic use of torture by Egypts security forces.

Egyptian security blocked a dozen American reporters who had accompanied Pence from Washington from getting out of their bus when Pence arrived for his meeting with Sisi at the Al Etehadiya Palace. After prolonged negotiations by Pences aides, the media was escorted in after 90 minutes.

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

brian.bennett@latimes.com

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SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Rachel Axon breaks down how North Korea may participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. USA TODAY Sports

Adam Rippon is believed to be the first openly gay U.S. Winter Olympian.(Photo: Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

Adam Rippon, the 2016 U.S. mens figure skating champion who is believed to be the first openly gay U.S. Winter Olympian, criticized the White Houses selection of Vice President Mike Pence to lead the 2018 U.S. Olympic delegation to South Korea in a phone interview with USA TODAY Sports Tuesday night.

You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Rippon said. Im not buying it.

Rippon, 28, who was selected to his first Olympic team earlier this month after finishing fourth at the U.S. national championships, said that he would prefer not to meet Pence during the traditional meet-and-greet between the official delegation and U.S. athletes in the hours leading to the opening ceremony. Its possible Rippon would have to miss that event anyway to be part of the team figure skating competition.

More: Coming out changes the game for Olympian Gus Kenworthy

More: North and South Korea agree to form first unified Olympic team

If it were before my event, I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they arent a friend of a gay person but that they think that theyre sick, Rippon said. I wouldnt go out of my way to meet somebody like that.

I dont think he has a real concept of reality, Rippon said of Pence. To stand by some of the things that Donald Trump has said and for Mike Pence to say hes a devout Christian man is completely contradictory.If hes okay with whats being said about people and Americans and foreigners and about different countries that are being called shitholes,'I think he should really go to church."

The widespread belief that Pence supports gay conversion therapy comes from a statement he made in 2000 on his congressional campaign website: Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior. While he didnt explicitly mention gay conversion therapy, leaders in the LGBT community have said they believe thats what Pence meant in light of his long-standing opposition to gay rights. In November 2016, the New York Times reported that Pence's spokesman at the time, Marc Lotter, denied thatPence supports the practice.

After publication of this story Wednesday,Pence's press secretary Alyssa Farah emaileda statement to USA TODAY Sports:The vice president is proud to lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympics and support Americas incredible athletes. This accusation is totally false and has no basis in fact. Despite these misinformed claims, the vice president will be enthusiastically supporting all the U.S. athletes competing next month in Pyeongchang.

Rippon did say in his Tuesday night interviewthat if given a chance to meet Pence after competing (unlikely considering the relatively short length of any delegations visit to the Games), he would consider it.

If I had the chance to meet him afterwards, after Im finished competing, there might be a possibility to have an open conversation, Rippon said. He seems more mild-mannered than Donald Trump. But I dont think the current administration represents the values that I was taught growing up. Mike Pence doesnt stand for anything that I really believe in.Four years ago, President Barack Obama asked several openly-gay athletes to serve on the U.S. delegations to the opening and closing ceremonies in Sochi, including tennis legend Billie Jean King, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Brian Boitano and two-time Olympic hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow.

I think the move that President Obama made was very poignant and it was right in the midst of the huge controversy of gay propaganda being illegal in Russia, Rippon said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putins anti-gay efforts.

Rippon, who said he was bullied and teased as a boy growing up in Scranton, Pa., came out publicly as being gay in October 2015. He often talks about how he hopes his story can help others, especially young people who might be struggling with their sexuality.

Always outspoken, Rippon said recently he will not go to the White House for a post-Olympic celebration hosted by President Trump."I said no," he reiterated Tuesday. Legendary skier Lindsey Vonn has said she will not attend as well.

But Rippon also said he will not protest for gay rights or against the Trump administration in any way during the Olympics themselves.

No, Im a U.S. athlete representing my country. I will continue to share my story, but I will participate in no form of protest. Im representing myself and my country on the world stage. I have a lot of respect for this opportunity. What makes America great is that were all so different. Its 2018 and being an openly gay man and an athlete, that is part of the face of America now.

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The pastor at the church the vice-president attended in Maryland on Sunday said using the word shithole was dehumanizing and ugly

A Maryland pastor denounced Donald Trumps alleged vulgar description of African nations from the pulpit on Sunday while Mike Pence, the vice-president, was sitting in the pews of his church.

Maurice Watson, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist church in Largo, said remarks in which Trump reportedly used the word shithole to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African nations were dehumanizing and ugly.

WUSA-TV reported that Pence became red-faced at times during the sermon. In an email to the Associated Press on Monday, Pences office denied that.

Trump has denied using the word during an immigration discussion with congressional leaders in the Oval Office. On Sunday night he claimed to be the least racist person.

A Democratic senator who was in the room described Trumps choice of words. Two Republicans who also attended the meeting contested that version of events.

Dick Durbin of Illinois told reporters on Monday: I know what happened. I stand behind every word that I said.

Trump tweeted: Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.

In his sermon on Sunday, Watson said whoever made such a statement was wrong and should be held accountable, and said he had felt led by God to speak up. Many of his congregants come from African nations, he said.

Worshippers stood and applauded.

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Pastor denounces Donald Trump, with Mike Pence in the ...