US Embassy road signs installed in Jerusalem as official opening approaches

The opening of the embassy will coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence on May 14, 1948.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – US Embassy road signs were raised in Jerusalem on Monday as the official opening of the building approaches following President Donald Trump’s recognition of the city as Israel’s capital.

Workers mounted the signs, in English, Hebrew, and Arabic, along roads leading to the US consulate building in south Jerusalem, Reuters reported. The building will be renovated as the new US embassy when it is officially relocated from Tel Aviv on May 14.

Workers hangs a road sign directing to the US Embassy, in the area of the US consulate in Jerusalem, May 7, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
Workers hangs a road sign directing to the US Embassy, in the area of the US consulate in Jerusalem, May 7, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)

Trump’s decision was a controversial one, prompting protests among Palestinians and others who disagreed with the choice.

“Today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: That Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” the US President said during a televised announcement from the White House in December.

“This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,” he added. “It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”

Workers hangs a road sign directing to the US Embassy, in the area of the US consulate in Jerusalem, May 7, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
Workers hangs a road sign directing to the US Embassy, in the area of the US consulate in Jerusalem, May 7, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)

The US decision has received mixed reactions from Israelis and Palestinians who have been locked in decades of war and disagreement over the status of the city.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat expressed his pride at the recognition of the city as Israel’s capital.

“This is not a dream. It is reality. I am proud and moved to have hung this morning the first new signs that were prepared for the US Embassy,” Barkat wrote on Twitter.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, meanwhile, described the move as “illegal,” warning of further conflict between Arabs and Jews in the future as a result.

“This [embassy] move is not only illegal but will also thwart the achievement of a just and lasting peace between two sovereign and democratic states on the 1967 borders, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security,” Erekat said in a statement.

Workers hangs a road sign directing to the US Embassy, in the area of the US consulate in Jerusalem, May 7, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
Workers hangs a road sign directing to the US Embassy, in the area of the US consulate in Jerusalem, May 7, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)

During a trip to Israel last week, new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington remains “committed to achieving a lasting and comprehensive peace that offers a brighter future for both Israel and the Palestinians.”

“By recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the seat of its government, we’re recognizing reality,” he added.

The opening of the embassy will coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence on May 14, 1948.