The United States of America on Monday formally opened a new embassy in Jerusalem amid protests. The ceremony of moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem began with the US national anthem.
US ambassador to Israel David Friedman then spoke and President Donald Trump was given a standing ovation when he mentioned him. Friedman referred to the embassy’s location as “Jerusalem, Israel” drawing wild applause.
US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan led the Washington delegation at the inauguration that also included Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both White House aides, as well as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
According to report, over 800 guests on Monday attended the ceremony. Israel considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
Earlier in the day, violent clashes erupted along the Gaza Strip’s border, leaving 37 Palestinians dead from Israeli fire and hundreds wounded in the conflict’s bloodiest day in years.
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