The United States announced Friday that it will open its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem in May, a move from Tel Aviv that reverses decades of U.S. policy and is bound to trouble U.S. allies who have already objected.
President Donald Trump announced last December that the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, infuriating even Washington's Arab allies and dismaying Palestinians who want the eastern part of the city as their capital.
No other country has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Trump's decision has sown discord between the United States and the European Union over Middle East peace efforts.
In a speech on Friday to a gathering of conservatives in suburban Washington, Trump recalled his controversial decision, saying he withstood enormous pressure to make the move.
"I put the word out that I may do it. I was hit by more countries and more pressure and more people calling, begging me, 'Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it,'" Trump said. "I said we have to do it. It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do, we have to do it. And I did it."
The move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem cleared a final bureaucratic hurdle last week when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed off on the security plan.
The embassy is expected to open its doors on May 14, the anniversary of the 1948 Israeli declaration of independence. The event will also coincide with Jerusalem Day, which this year is marked on May 13.
"We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, noting that it will coincide with Israel's 70th anniversary.
Over the years, the U.S. has been careful to separate the workings of its embassy in Tel Aviv from those of its Jerusalem consulate, over the inherent sensitivity of the city's status. As such, the consulate does not report to the embassy but directly to the State Department.
At this time, the embassy in Jerusalem will be incorporated into the consulate's facilities in the city's Arnona neighborhood. The interim embassy will have office space for the ambassador and a small staff and, by the end of 2019, a new embassy annex on the Arnona compound will be opened, Nauert said.
The State Department stressed that for security reasons, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman will continue living in the residence in Herzliya and commute to the relocated embassy.
"Consular services will continue uninterrupted as part of the embassy," the State Department said, meaning that these services will also be provided to residents living within the Green Line.
A May opening is earlier than expected. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told the Israeli parliament last month that the move would take place by the end of 2019.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement, saying, "This is a great moment for the State of Israel. President Trump's decision to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem will make our Independence Day celebration even happier. Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership, and for your friendship."
The Palestinians were enraged by the news.
"This is an unacceptable step. Any unilateral move will not give legitimacy to anyone and will be an obstacle to any effort to create peace in the region," said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is said to be considering an offer from Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson to fund at least part of the diplomatic mission's relocation project, which is expected to cost some $500 million.
Lawyers at the State Department are reportedly looking into the legality of accepting private donations to cover some or all of the embassy relocation costs.
In one possible scenario, the administration would solicit contributions not only from Adelson but potentially from other donors in the evangelical Christian and American Jewish communities.
One official said Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate and staunch Israel supporter, had offered to pay the difference between the total cost and what the administration is able to raise.
Under any circumstances, letting private citizens cover the costs of an official government building would mark a significant departure from historical practice. In the Jerusalem case, it would add yet another layer of controversy to Trump's politically charged decision to move the embassy, given Adelson's longstanding affiliation with right-wing Israeli politics.
Adelson's unconventional offer, made soon after Trump's December announcement that the embassy would move, would address the president's stated aversion for shelling out staggering sums for overseas diplomatic facilities. Although Trump has promoted the Jerusalem move as fulfilling a key campaign promise, he also was outspoken last month in blasting the $1 billion price tag for a new U.S. Embassy in London.
How quickly to move the embassy has been a source of intense debate within Trump's administration, said the officials, who weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and demanded anonymity.
Tillerson, who opposed moving the embassy in the first place, advocated a go-slow approach and said it could take years. But Ambassador David Friedman, who lobbied Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, has pushed to move it sooner.
It is unclear how much of the cost Adelson might be willing to cover.
The White House declined to comment. An Adelson spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
The State Department said it had "nothing to announce" and "no confirmation or details about this hypothetical proposal."
Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein added that there had been no "formal talks" with private citizens about funding.
It is not clear if there is any precedent, nor whether government lawyers would give the green light to accept Adelson's or anyone else's donations.
Adelson, who donated $5 million to Trump's inaugural committee, is one of the Republican Party's biggest donors and a major Netanyahu supporter. The Adelson family also owns the company that is the primary shareholder of the daily Israel Hayom.
Allowing donations from Adelson or others would come with significant political risk for Trump. The president already faces major criticism from Palestinians and others who say his decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem – also claimed by the Palestinians for the capital of their future state – tipped the scales unfairly in Israel's favor.
Mort Klein, president of the pro-Israel Zionist Organization of America and a close associate of Adelson, said accepting donations would be ill-advised.
Klein said he knew Adelson was "deeply interested" in seeing the embassy relocate to Jerusalem but did not Know whether the casino mogul had offered to help pay for it himself.
"This is a government project. It's a government-run embassy. I don't want people to be able to say it was Jewish money," he said.
