International [Arab-Israeli Conflict, v4] Israel Sets Goal of Doubling the Jewish Population on the Golan Heights

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Arab-Israeli Conflict, Part 4:

Arab-Israeli Conflict, Part 3

Arab-Israeli Conflict, Part 2

Arab-Israeli Conflict, Part 1
 
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U.S. delegation arrives in Jerusalem ahead of embassy move
by Ziad Jaber, Paul Goldman, Lawahez Jabari and Alexander Smith / May.13.2018


​


JERUSALEM — Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and other members of the U.S. delegation arrived in a tense Jerusalem on Sunday to celebrate the relocation of the United States embassy.

President Donald Trump recognized the city as Israel's capital last year and pledged to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

That will officially happen Monday at a ceremony attended by Ivanka, Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The president will address the event via video message.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said Israel would be celebrating Trump's decision.

"President Trump promised to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and he did so. He promised to move the American Embassy to Israel and he is doing so. Of course we will all celebrate this day, a real celebration, tomorrow," he said at a weekly Cabinet meeting.

​


The new embassy is opening in part of a pre-existing American visa-and-passport facility and will have an initial staff of at least 50, according to senior Trump administration officials previewing the highly anticipated opening. That includes Ambassador David Friedman's aides and U.S. consular officers already working at the site.

Around 800 guests are expected to attend Monday's event. There will also be events on Sunday to celebrate the move, though many European nations who oppose the decision are expected to skip them.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/...alem-ahead-controversial-embassy-move-n873716
 
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Israel kicks off US Embassy celebration
By Josef Federman, Associated Press | Sunday, May 13, 2018

AP18133576293544_t653.jpg

JERUSALEM — Israel on Sunday kicked off festivities to celebrate the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, even as it bolstered its forces along the Gaza border and in the West Bank in anticipation of mass Palestinian protests of the move.

A day before the embassy's formal opening, Israel hosted a gala party at its Foreign Ministry with President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, her husband, Jared Kushner, and other American VIPs.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's "bold decision" in upending decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "It's the right thing to do," a smiling Netanyahu told the jubilant crowd.

Trump announced his decision on Jerusalem in December, triggering a joyous reaction from Netanyahu's nationalist government. The move infuriated the Palestinians, who claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas halted ties with the Trump administration and declared it unfit to remain in its role as the sole mediator in peace talks.

The rival Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, has been staging a series of weekly demonstrations against a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the territory. Those protests are to climax Monday, with tens of thousands of people expected to gather along the Israeli border in an event timed to coincide with the U.S. Embassy move.

Hamas has signaled that large crowds, numbering perhaps in the thousands, might try to break through the border fence to realize the "right of return" to lost homes.

Both the embassy move and the protests have symbolic timing. Trump has said the opening is meant to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment. The Palestinian protests also mark the date as the anniversary of their "naqba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands of people fled or were forced from their homes during the war surrounding the event. About two-thirds of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of Palestinian refugees.

A mass border breach could trigger potentially lethal Israeli force. Forty-two Palestinians have been killed and over 1,800 have been wounded by Israeli fire since the weekly protests began on March 30. The U.N., European Union and rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force against unarmed protesters.

Israel says it is protecting a sovereign border and accuses Hamas of using the unrest to plan and carry out attacks. Marchers have thrown stones and burned tires at the fence and flown flaming kites over it to try to set Israeli fields on fire.

On Friday, a Palestinian crowd attacked the main cargo crossing between Israel and Gaza, disrupting shipments of cooking fuel, gasoline and building materials, and causing millions of dollars in damage. Israeli officials said it could take weeks or months to repair the crossing.

"Unfortunately, the crossing is closed today and will remain closed until the foreseeable future due to severe damage caused by Palestinian rioters," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman. "It is still unclear how long it will take to fix and replace the necessary parts."

The Israeli military announced that it bolstered forces on the Gaza border with combat battalions, special units, intelligence forces and snipers. Israeli warplanes also dropped leaflets in Gaza, urging residents to stay far from the fence.

"You deserve a better government. You deserve a better future," the leaflets said. "Do not approach the security fence nor participate in the Hamas display that is putting you in risk."

A high-ranking delegation of Gaza's Hamas rulers headed Sunday to Egypt, amid diplomatic efforts aimed at containing the mass rally. But one of the Hamas participants, Khalil al-Hayya, said there were no breakthroughs and the march would go on as planned Monday.

The army said it was also reinforcing its troops in the West Bank with several combat battalions and intelligence units in case of possible unrest there as well.

Sunday's celebrations coincided with Israel's "Jerusalem Day," the 51st anniversary of what it refers to the city's "unification" during the 1967 Mideast war.

Israel immediately annexed east Jerusalem — home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites — in a move that has not received international recognition. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

In an annual ritual, tens of thousands of Israelis marched through Jerusalem's Old City to mark the day. Revelers sang, danced and waved Israeli flags.

Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu told his Cabinet that there would be a "series of decisions" to build up Jerusalem, including its contested eastern sector. Shortly after, the government approved construction of a $57 million cable car system that will link west Jerusalem to the Old City.

Although Trump has said his declaration does not set the final borders of the city, his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has been perceived by both Israel and the Palestinians as taking Israel's side in the most sensitive issue in their conflict. Only two countries, Guatemala and Paraguay, have said they will follow suit. Most of the world maintains embassies in Tel Aviv, saying the Jerusalem issue must first be resolved.

In a reflection of the deep sensitivities, dozens of countries — including Britain, France and Germany — skipped Sunday night's celebration at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Netanyahu, who frequently clashed with President Barack Obama, has found a welcome partner in Trump. The new administration has lined up solidly behind Netanyahu in his dealings with the Palestinians and delighted him last week when it withdrew from the international nuclear deal with Iran, Obama's top foreign policy achievement.

Addressing the crowd Sunday evening, Netanyahu said Israelis would be "eternally grateful" for Trump's decision on Jerusalem.

"Thank you, President Trump, for your bold decision. Thank you for making the alliance between Israel and the United States stronger than ever," he said.

Netanyahu said Trump's decision recognized a 3,000-year Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the "truth" that Jerusalem will be Israel's capital under any future peace deal.

"It's been the capital of our state for the past 70 years. It will remain our capital for all time," he said.

Kushner and Ivanka Trump sat in the front row near Netanyahu during the ceremony but did not speak. Netanyahu called their presence a "national and international statement" that "touches our hearts."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Trump was fulfilling a key campaign promise by moving the embassy. "The United States has no greater partner than Israel," he said.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel group in the U.S., expressed concern that the embassy move would backfire.

He accused the White House of putting the interests of a small group of hard-liners ahead of the larger interest of promoting peace with the Palestinians.

"Making a move like this removes the U.S. as a credible mediator," he said.

The Palestinian ambassador to Washington sharply condemned the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in a statement Sunday.

"Tragically, the US administration has chosen to side with Israel's exclusivist claims over a city that has for centuries been sacred to all faiths," said Husam Zomlot.
Click to expand...

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/may/13/israel-kicks-off-us-embassy-celebration-boosts-bor/
 


 
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Forgive my ignorance but doesn't the U.S move its embassy to the western parts of Jerusalem, not the eastern part?

I thought it was internationally accepted that the western part of Jerusalem belongs to Israel and the eastern part, the Palestinians?

If so, isn't it an acceptable move?
 
Arkain2K said:
U.S. delegation arrives in Jerusalem ahead of embassy move
by Ziad Jaber, Paul Goldman, Lawahez Jabari and Alexander Smith / May.13.2018


​


JERUSALEM — Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and other members of the U.S. delegation arrived in a tense Jerusalem on Sunday to celebrate the relocation of the United States embassy.

President Donald Trump recognized the city as Israel's capital last year and pledged to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

That will officially happen Monday at a ceremony attended by Ivanka, Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The president will address the event via video message.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said Israel would be celebrating Trump's decision.

"President Trump promised to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and he did so. He promised to move the American Embassy to Israel and he is doing so. Of course we will all celebrate this day, a real celebration, tomorrow," he said at a weekly Cabinet meeting.

​


The new embassy is opening in part of a pre-existing American visa-and-passport facility and will have an initial staff of at least 50, according to senior Trump administration officials previewing the highly anticipated opening. That includes Ambassador David Friedman's aides and U.S. consular officers already working at the site.

Around 800 guests are expected to attend Monday's event. There will also be events on Sunday to celebrate the move, though many European nations who oppose the decision are expected to skip them.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/...alem-ahead-controversial-embassy-move-n873716
Click to expand...



So, they are turning the consulate in Jerusalem into the embassy and they are turning the former embassy in Tel Aviv into a consulate.

Did I get that right?
 
trumpmynt03-1068x532.jpg


I apologize if this has already been covered in this thread.

Israel has created this special coin to celebrate the 70 years of Israel as an independent nation.
 
Son of Jamin said:
Forgive my ignorance but doesn't the U.S move its embassy to the western parts of Jerusalem, not the eastern part?

I thought it was internationally accepted that the western part of Jerusalem belongs to Israel and the eastern part, the Palestinians?

If so, isn't it an acceptable move?
Click to expand...

Fluffernutter said:
So, they are turning the consulate in Jerusalem into the embassy and they are turning the former embassy in Tel Aviv into a consulate.

Did I get that right?
Click to expand...

Here's the previously posted info on the location of this provisional embassy until a permanent site is chosen to build a new building. Hope that'll help you get up to speed.

Arkain2K said:
A Quiet Jerusalem Neighborhood Gets a U.S. Embassy
By ISABEL KERSHNER | FEB. 26, 2018

merlin_134540252_d1feccad-2d96-47c7-8b34-188c09990c68-master768.jpg

The United States Embassy will be temporarily housed in American consular offices, center, in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem. ​

JERUSALEM — For what may be the most visible foreign policy step the United States has taken since President Trump took office, the American Embassy set to open in Jerusalem in three months is a bit hard to spot.

The ambassador’s new quarters — really, a provisional office until a full-fledged embassy building is erected — will be located in what is now the consular services section of the United States Consulate General, a low-lying, fortresslike compound. It is half-hidden down a steep incline off a quiet, residential street a few miles south of the Old City. Not much can be seen from the road, apart from a large American flag flying from the rooftop.

But the Trump administration’s decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has not gone unnoticed. Nor has Washington’s seeming determination to accelerate the move.

When Mr. Trump announced in December that he was veering from almost seven decades of American policy — and that of the vast majority of the world’s nations — and formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, White House officials spoke of the embassy move taking several years.

A month later, addressing the Israeli Parliament, Vice President Mike Pence pledged that the new embassy would open by the end of 2019.

Then, on Friday, the White House said that it wanted to open a temporary embassy in Jerusalem in time for the 70th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel, on May 14. As a first step, the State Department said, the consular building in the Arnona neighborhood would carve out some office space for Ambassador David M. Friedman and a small staff, and would become the interim Embassy.

By the end of next year, the compound is to be expanded to include an interim embassy annex providing more office space for the ambassador and his team. Mr. Friedman is expected to commute from his seaside residence in Herzliyya, north of Tel Aviv, until a secure residence can be found in Jerusalem.

A search is underway for a site for a permanent embassy to be built, but for the foreseeable future, the face of the United States government will be in Arnona.

The consular section there, which opened in 2010, is the newest and most secure United States facility in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, according to a State Department official. The official added that there was no change to the mandate of the consulate general, which is housed in a separate, historic building in central Jerusalem and engages in a wide range of political, economic, cultural, and educational contacts in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as in Jerusalem, and also serves American citizens there.

Life in Arnona seemed to be continuing quietly Sunday morning. Across the street from the American consular compound, Naomi Elook, 63, an Israel cosmetician, runs a small beauty salon in the basement of the apartment building where she has lived for 30 years. A young Muslim woman in a flowered head scarf was waiting for a treatment, and Ms. Elook said that 80 percent of her clients were Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

“I am happy about the embassy move,” she said. “It will enrich the neighborhood and bring more security.”

The Arnona compound sits between the predominantly Jewish West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war and then annexed in a move that was never internationally recognized. But the compound has always been in Israel’s possession and so is not, experts say, considered occupied territory.

“There are infinite ways in which the embassy move is horrible, counterproductive, destructive,” said Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli attorney who specializes in Jerusalem affairs. “But the site is not the problem.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/world/middleeast/jerusalem-us-embassy.html
Click to expand...
 
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