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Opening ceremony for US embassy begins in Jerusalem

The US delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin arrived to take part in the event

TEL AVIV, May 14. /TASS/. The dedication ceremony for the new American Embassy in Israel began in Jerusalem on Monday.

The US delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin arrived to take part in the event. The ceremony is broadcast live on Facebook by the Chancellery of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Among other delegates are Donald Trump's daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt.

The Israeli side is represented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and Speaker of the Knesset (parliament) Yuli-Yoel Edelstein.

US President Donald Trump announced the decision on moving the diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv on December 6, 2017 shortly after announcing that Washington recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump did not take part in Monday’s ceremony.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the key issues concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel, which seized the eastern part of the city during the 1967 war, insists that Jerusalem is the single and indivisible capital of the country, while Palestinians wish to make the eastern part of the city the capital of their state.