The United States will move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem in May, the State Department announced in a statement on Friday. The date is set to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel declaring its independence on May 14. Early this year, multiple media outlets reported that the State Department was looking at plans to convert a consular complex in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona into the new embassy. The State Department’s announcement on Friday confirmed that the Arnona facility will be the temporary site of the embassy and contain office space for Ambassador David Friedman. The expected embassy move is likely to further strain the already crippled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which has further deteriorated under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Source: Huffington Post February 23, 2018 19:27 UTC