May Opening

From the BBC:
"US to open new embassy in Jerusalem in May"

The US Department of State has announced plans to open a new embassy in Jerusalem this year. "In May, the United States plans to open a new US Embassy in Jerusalem," said spokeswoman Heather Nauert. The opening of the mission will coincide with Israel's 70th anniversary, the statement said. The announcement brings forward the controversial plan, announced by President Trump in December, by at least a year Donald Trump said in December that the US would recognise Jerusalem - not Tel Aviv - as Israel's capital, infuriating Palestinians. The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future state. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the embassy announcement as "a great day for the people of Israel". The US Department of State spokeswoman said the embassy would initially be located at existing consular facilities in the Arnona district of the city.  US Vice-President Mike Pence said last month in a speech to the Israeli parliament that the move would occur sometime before the end of 2019. A senior Palestinian official, Saeb Erekat, called Friday's announcement a "blatant provocation".  In December, the Palestinian general delegate to the UK told the BBC that acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be the "kiss of death" to the two-state peace solution. Manuel Hassassian said the decision would amount to declaring war in the Middle East. 

^ Mazel Tov! ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43174956