New US embassy opens in Jerusalem amid protests along the Gaza border

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The United States officially opened its Israel embassy in Jerusalem on Monday.

"Today we open the United States embassy in Jerusalem Israel," US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said at the beginning of the inaugural ceremony.

The opening coincides with the state of Israel's 70th anniversary.

Reuters Photo

US President Donald Trump sent a video message to the opening ceremony in which he said it is "fact" that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and his senior adviser on the Middle East, said on Monday that the United States showed the world it could be trusted by opening its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem.

"When President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it," Kushner said at the embassy's opening ceremony. "Today also demonstrates American leadership. By moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted," he said.

Senior White House Adviser Ivanka Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stand next to the dedication plaque at the US embassy in Jerusalem, during the dedication ceremony of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. /Reuters Photo

"We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else, we've shown that the United States of America will do what's right," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump had made "history" by recognizing Jerusalem as his country's capital and opening Washington's embassy there as he addressed the inauguration ceremony on Monday.

"President Trump, by recognizing history you have made history," Netanyahu said at the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, adding later: "We are in Jerusalem and we are here to stay."

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The controversial move angered Palestinians, who claim east Jerusalem as their capital, and drew condemnation from world leaders.

Ahead of the new embassy opening, tens of thousands people headed to the Gaza-Israel border to protest the opening event, resulting in at least 41 Palestinians being killed by Israel troops according to reports.

More: 7 decades of Israel-Palestine turmoil to be marked with US Embassy move

CGTN Photo

Last December, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking decades of established American policy.

World's reaction

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the embassy move disregarded the rights of Palestinians.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman speaks during the dedication ceremony of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. /Reuters Photo‍

"We curse the massacre carried out by Israeli security forces, encouraged by this step, on the Palestinians participating in peaceful demonstrations," the statement said after health officials said Israeli forces killed 41 Palestinians along the Gaza border on Monday.

Britain has "no plans" to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman told reporters on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the dedication ceremony of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. /Reuters Photo

"The PM said in December when the announcement was first made that we disagree with the US’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement," the spokesman said.

"The British embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it," the spokesman added.

Opinion: Is it counterproductive to move the US embassy to Jerusalem?

France's foreign minister says disapproves of the US decision to move embassy to Jerusalem amid strong regional tensions.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman said on Monday that the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem would create incitement and instability in the region and ruled out Washington as being a mediator for Middle East peace.

Reuters Photo

"With this step, the US administration has cancelled its role in the peace process and has insulted the world, the Palestinian people and the Arab and the Islamic nation and it has created incitement and instability,” said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeineh.

The Arab League will hold emergency talks Wednesday to discuss Washington's "illegal" decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a senior official said.

The meeting will focus on "ways of countering the illegal decision by the United States to move the embassy to Jerusalem," the organization's deputy secretary general for Palestinian affairs, Saeed Abu Ali, said.

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