JERUSALEM (AP) — The opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem attracted more than a dozen Republican members of Congress, two billionaire GOP fundraisers and the president's eldest daughter, putting on a display of political muscle and Republican unity rare for the Trump era. Even as it sparked deadly protests in the Mideast, President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem united a cross-section of the GOP. It injected new energy into the evangelical movement, which has long wanted the embassy moved because of the deep religious significance of the area. Top officials with the Republican National Committee, along with a delegation of four Republican senators, 10 Republican congressmen and one Republican governor, cheered Kushner from the gallery. In a video address shown at the ceremony's opening, Trump said the U.S. still remains "fully committed" to pursing a Mideast peace deal.

Source: Economic Times May 14, 2018 21:45 UTC