U.S. marines take part in the dedication ceremony of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
United States Opens Its Israeli Embassy In Jerusalem
Jerusalem -The United States officially opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Monday, fulfilling a pledge by President Donald Trump who has recognized the holy city as the Israeli capital.
“Today we open the United States embassy in Jerusalem, Israel,” U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman said at the beginning of the inaugural ceremony, attended by a U.S. delegation from Washington and Israeli leaders.
On the Gaza border, at least 38 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire in the latest in a round of protests dubbed the “Great March of Return”, health officials said.
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Trump’s recognition of contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December outraged Palestinians, who said the United States could no longer serve as an honest broker in any peace process with Israel.
Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector it captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed, as its “eternal and indivisible capital” in a move that has not won international recognition.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman gives a speech during the opening ceremony at the US consulate that will act as the new US embassy in the Jewish neighborhood of Arnona, in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 May 2018. The US Embassy in Jerusalem is inaugurated on 14 May following its controversial move from Tel Aviv to the existing US consulate building in Jerusalem. US President Trump in December 2017 recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The decision, condemned by Palestinians who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, prompted worldwide protests and was met with widespread international criticism. EPA-EFE/ABIR SULTAN (Credit: EPA-EFE)U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin unveils the seal and dedication plaque for the new U.S. embassy, as he stands next to Senior White House Adviser Ivanka Trump during the dedication ceremony of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. (Credit: REUTERS)
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman sits next to White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner as he speaks during the dedication ceremony of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. (Credit: REUTERS)
White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump speaks during the opening ceremony at the US consulate that will act as the new US embassy in the Jewish neighborhood of Arnona, in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 May 2018. The US Embassy in Jerusalem is inaugurated on 14 May following its controversial move from Tel Aviv to the existing US consulate building in Jerusalem. US President Trump in December 2017 recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The decision, condemned by Palestinians who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, prompted worldwide protests and was met with widespread international criticism. EPA-EFE/ABIR SULTAN (Credit: EPA-EFE)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he speaks during the opening ceremony at the US consulate that will act as the new US embassy in the Jewish neighborhood of Arnona, in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 May 2018. The US Embassy in Jerusalem is inaugurated on 14 May following its controversial move from Tel Aviv to the existing US consulate building in Jerusalem. US President Trump in December 2017 recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The decision, condemned by Palestinians who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, prompted worldwide protests and was met with widespread international criticism. EPA-EFE/ABIR SULTAN (Credit: EPA-EFE)
