Jordan condemns opening of United States embassy in Jerusalem

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said: “We curse the massacre carried out by Israeli security forces, encouraged by this step, on the Palestinians participating in peaceful demonstrations”. A larger site will be built later when the rest of the embassy moves from Tel Aviv.

Ardern said New Zealand had long supported a two-state solution and warned that the USA move would be a backwards step.

Monday was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel (though not according to the Jewish calendar by which it is normally marked in Israel – that was last month).

Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (mih-NOO’-shin), were leading the ceremonies.

Trump gave a video address that aired at the opening of the new embassy Monday.

Palestinians have historically pushed to claim East Jerusalem as their capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted, “What a moving day for the people of Israel and the State of Israel”. A great day for Jerusalem. Trump’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reiterated that goal in a statement calling for “lasting and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians”. “A day that will be engraved in our national memory for generations”.

“This is the most significant violence we’ve seen in a number of years”, Ms Ardern said on Tuesday morning.

It marked the bloodiest day in Gaza since a seven-week Israeli operation against Hamas, which controls the territory, in summer 2014 after the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers by the militant group.

“Shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire in #Gaza must stop now”, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein wrote in a message carried on the United Nations human rights Twitter account.

United States President Donald Trump took to Twitter to congratulate Israel.

The US has echoed Israel in accusing Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement of instigating violence, an allegation it denies.

Mass protests have broken out again in response to the moving of the USA embassy to Jerusalem, recently recognized by the U.S.as Israel’s capital. “From Israel to Jordan to Egypt to Saudi Arabia and beyond, many leaders are fighting to modernize their countries and create better lives for their people”.

US Vice President Mike Pence on 22 January receives a warm welcome in Israel but is snubbed by the Palestinians.