US opens Jerusalem embassy amid Gaza bloodshed
The Donald Trump administration and US lawmakers celebrated the grand opening of the new US Embassy today as Israeli soldiers killed dozens of protesting Palestinians.
The grand opening of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem today was marred by the shooting deaths of dozens of protesters in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the violence, Washington’s attention remained firmly fixated on the pomp and pageantry of the opening ceremony as the Donald Trump administration and US lawmakers who have long supported the controversial move refused to let Palestinian bloodshed mar the historic occasion.
“Big day for Israel. Congratulations!” Trump tweeted this morning after urging Americans to tune into Fox News coverage of the embassy’s inauguration.
While the Trump administration picked the timing to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, the date runs up against the anniversary of the mass Palestinian displacement that followed. Thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have held weekly protests at the Gaza border fence since March 30. The demonstrations, backed by Hamas and dubbed “The Great Return March,” culminated this week with a rally by some 10,000 protesters.
