The United States will officially move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, a decision that has caused joy in Israel and created an outcry from Palestinians, U.S. allies, and many other countries worldwide.
A delegation from the White House and Israeli officials will gather for the inauguration ceremony in the afternoon, while large numbers of Palestinians are expected to protest along the Gaza border with Israel and elsewhere.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced in 2017 that the United States was recognizing divided Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing decades of U.S. policy.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. Israel has annexed East Jerusalem and declared the entire city as its capital, a move not recognized by the international community.
Trump’s decision sparked deadly protests and 128 states condemned it in a United Nations General Assembly vote.
The current U.S. Consulate is considered an interim facility for the embassy. Plans call for the construction of a permanent U.S. Embassy at a different location in Jerusalem.
Some 1,000 police officers will be stationed around the embassy and nearby neighborhoods for the inauguration, officials said.
The action coincides with the celebration of Jerusalem Day, an annual event marking "reunification" of the city following the 1967 Six-Day War.
May 14 also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.