[Ynet] Expedited move sets to coincide with 70th anniversary of Israel declaring independence; Netanyahu: 'Move will make Israel's 70th Independence Day a much greater celebration'; Hamas, one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbung millipede, calls move 'declaration of war'; PLO official Erekat: 'US are part of the problem.'| They use strong words because they haven’t much else, poor darlings. |
"We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.
The embassy in Jerusalem will be gradually expanded in existing consular facilities in the Arnona neighborhood, while the search for a permanent site has already begun for what Nauert called a "longer-term undertaking."
The interim embassy will have office space for the ambassador and a small staff and, by the end of 2019, a new embassy annex on the Arnona compound will be opened, Nauert said in a statement.
The consulate in east Jerusalem will continue to serve Paleostinians, and for security reasons US Ambassador David Friedman will continue living in the residence in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, and commute to the relocated embassy, another official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Trump administration officials said Congress was notified of the impending move. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed off on the security plan for the new embassy on Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the US decision, saying it "will turn Israel's 70th Independence Day into a much greater celebration."
"This is a great day for the people of Israel," Netanyahu noted in a statement released Friday night. "Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership and your friendship."
Paleostinians reacted with anger to the move, saying this could destroy the prospect of a two-state solution to the Israel-Paleostinian conflict.
Saeb Erekat
...negotiated the Oslo Accords with Israel. He has been chief Paleostinian negotiator since 1995. He is currently negotiating with Israel to establish a de jure Paleostinian state...
, the Paleostinian's chief negotiator in peace talks that have been frozen since 2014, said the US move showed a "determination to violate international law, destroy the two-state solution and provoke the feelings of the Paleostinian people as well as of all Arabs, Moslems and Christians around the globe."
Erekat, who is also secretary-general of the Paleostine Liberation Organization, went on to say that US President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
and his team "have disqualified the US from being part of the solution between Israelis and Paleostinians; rather, the world now sees that they are part of the problem."
He further lamented the fact the move would coincide with the Nakba Day‐the 1948 Paleostinian exodus, or how the Paleostinians refer to the establishment of Israel.
| An extra reason for celebration... |
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new American embassy is being planned for mid-May.
The May opening marks a significant acceleration. Vice President Mike Pence had said previously the embassy would open by the end of 2019, while Tillerson had said it could take years.
| “Bottom line it for me, Rex: what are the key things an embassy needs that a consulate doesn’t have?” “Well, Mr. President, it needs to have offices for the ambassador and his immediate staff and a party room for receptions, a secure room for communications... A break room for the Marines would be nice, too.” “Let’s take a look at the architectural drawings of that Jerusalem consulate — I’ll bet we can move around a few interior walls to meet that minimum until we have the fancy new building approved and built. I suspect we can even add another bathroom without too much trouble.” |
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