The United States aims to open a Jerusalem embassy in May, the State Department said, cementing details of one of Donald Trump’s most controversial foreign policy decisions, The Independent reports.
The planned opening is intended to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence and would come earlier than administration officials had previously suggested, with Vice President Mike Pence saying in January the move would likely occur in 2019. The embassy will be housed in a building that currently contains a consular office, the State Department said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the move, saying in a statement that it would “turn Israel's 70th Independence Day into an even greater national celebration”
“Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership and friendship,” Mr Netanyahu said.