Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 14 May 2018

Israel kicks off U.S. Embassy celebration, boosts border force

By JOSEF FEDERMAN sary of what it refers to the
Associated Press city's "unification" during
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on the 1967 Mideast war.
Sunday kicked off festivities Israel immediately annexed
to celebrate the opening east Jerusalem — home
of the new U.S. Embassy in to the city's most sensitive
Jerusalem, even as it bol- Jewish, Muslim and Chris-
stered its forces along the tian holy sites — in a move
Gaza border and in the that has not received inter-
West Bank in anticipation national recognition. The
of mass Palestinian protests Palestinians claim east Je-
of the move. rusalem as the capital of a
A day before the embassy's future state.
formal opening, Israel host- In an annual ritual, tens
ed a gala party at its For- of thousands of Israelis
eign Ministry with President marched through Jeru-
Donald Trump's daughter salem's Old City to mark
Ivanka, her husband, Jared the day. Revelers sang,
Kushner, and other Ameri- danced and waved Israeli
can VIPs. flags.
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu
tanyahu praised Trump's Israelis wave national flags outside the Old City's Damascus Gate, in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 13, told his Cabinet that there
"bold decision" in upend- 2018. would be a "series of deci-
ing decades of U.S. policy Associated Press sions" to build up Jerusa-
by recognizing Jerusalem lem, including its contested
as Israel's capital. "It's the perhaps in the thousands, protesters. with combat battalions, eastern sector. Shortly after,
right thing to do," a smiling might try to break through Israel says it is protecting a special units, intelligence the government approved
Netanyahu told the jubilant the border fence to realize sovereign border and ac- forces and snipers. Israeli construction of a $57 million
crowd. the "right of return" to lost cuses Hamas of using the warplanes also dropped cable car system that will
Trump announced his de- homes. unrest to plan and carry leaflets in Gaza, urging resi- link west Jerusalem to the
cision on Jerusalem in De- Both the embassy move out attacks. Marchers have dents to stay far from the Old City.
cember, triggering a joyous and the protests have sym- thrown stones and burned fence. Although Trump has said
reaction from Netanyahu's bolic timing. Trump has tires at the fence and flown "You deserve a better gov- his declaration does not
nationalist government. said the opening is meant flaming kites over it to try to ernment. You deserve a set the final borders of the
The move infuriated the to coincide with the 70th set Israeli fields on fire. better future," the leaflets city, his recognition of Je-
Palestinians, who claim Is- anniversary of Israel's es- On Friday, a Palestinian said. "Do not approach the rusalem as Israel's capital
raeli-annexed east Jerusa- tablishment. The Palestin- crowd attacked the main security fence nor partici- has been perceived by
lem as their capital. ian protests also mark the cargo crossing between pate in the Hamas display both Israel and the Pales-
Palestinian President Mah- date as the anniversary Israel and Gaza, disrupting that is putting you in risk." tinians as taking Israel's side
moud Abbas halted ties of their "naqba," or catas- shipments of cooking fuel, A high-ranking delega- in the most sensitive issue
with the Trump administra- trophe, when hundreds of gasoline and building ma- tion of Gaza's Hamas rulers in their conflict. Only two
tion and declared it unfit to thousands of people fled terials, and causing millions headed Sunday to Egypt, countries, Guatemala and
remain in its role as the sole or were forced from their of dollars in damage. Israeli amid diplomatic efforts Paraguay, have said they
mediator in peace talks. homes during the war sur- officials said it could take aimed at containing the will follow suit. Most of the
The rival Hamas move- rounding the event. About weeks or months to repair mass rally. But one of the world maintains embassies
ment, which controls the two-thirds of Gaza's 2 million the crossing. Hamas participants, Khalil in Tel Aviv, saying the Je-
Gaza Strip, has been stag- people are descendants of "Unfortunately, the cross- al-Hayya, said there were rusalem issue must first be
ing a series of weekly Palestinian refugees. ing is closed today and no breakthroughs and the resolved.
demonstrations against a A mass border breach will remain closed until the march would go on as In a reflection of the deep
crippling Israeli-Egyptian could trigger potentially foreseeable future due to planned Monday. sensitivities, dozens of
blockade of the territory. lethal Israeli force. Forty- severe damage caused by The army said it was also countries — including Brit-
Those protests are to climax two Palestinians have been Palestinian rioters," said Lt. reinforcing its troops in the ain, France and Germany
Monday, with tens of thou- killed and over 1,800 have Col. Jonathan Conricus, a West Bank with several — skipped Sunday night's
sands of people expected been wounded by Israeli military spokesman. "It is still combat battalions and celebration at the Israeli
to gather along the Israeli fire since the weekly pro- unclear how long it will take intelligence units in case Foreign Ministry.
border in an event timed to tests began on March 30. to fix and replace the nec- of possible unrest there as Netanyahu, who frequent-
coincide with the U.S. Em- The U.N., European Union essary parts." well. ly clashed with President
bassy move. and rights groups have ac- The Israeli military an- Sunday's celebrations coin- Barack Obama, has found
Hamas has signaled that cused Israel of using exces- nounced that it bolstered cided with Israel's "Jerusa- a welcome partner in
large crowds, numbering sive force against unarmed forces on the Gaza border lem Day," the 51st anniver- Trump.q