US to open Jerusalem embassy in May for Israel's 70th anniversary

US To Open Jerusalem Embassy

The United States said Friday it will relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in May, bringing forward the contested move to coincide with the Jewish state’s 70th birthday — and enraging Palestinians, who called it a “blatant provocation.”

Palestinians also object to the date chosen for the embassy move — they call May 14, on which Israel declared independence in 1948, Naqba, their “day of catastrophe.”

The new embassy will be initially located in a US consular building in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighbourhood while Washington searches for a permanent location, “the planning and construction of which will be a longer-term undertaking,” Nauert said. Read more

The United States will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

“In May, the United States plans to open a new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The opening will coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary,” the State Department said in a statement.
“We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening,” the statement added.

The embassy will initially be located in a facility in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighbourhood that handles consular affairs, such as passports and visas. At first, the embassy will only accommodate U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and a small team of staff. The site of a future permanent embassy has yet to be found, according to the State Department.

While Israel’s independence day is, technically, on May 14, the holiday is celebrated in Israel according to the Hebrew date – the fifth day of Iyar. This year, Independence Day celebrations will start on the evening of April 18 and will finish on April 19. Read more

The US To Open Jerusalem Embassy in May

U.S. President Donald Trump announced last December that the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, infuriating even Washington’s Arab allies and dismaying Palestinians who want the eastern part of the city as their capital.

“We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, noting that it will coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary.

The embassy in Jerusalem will be gradually expanded in existing consular facilities in the Arnona neighbourhood, while the search for a permanent site has already begun for what Nauert called a “longer-term undertaking.” Read more

US To Open Jerusalem Embassy in May for Israel’s 70th anniversary