U.S. shows when embassy will open in Jerusalem

“In May, the United States plans to open the new Embassy in Jerusalem”, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. “Opening the new Embassy will coincide with Israel's 70th anniversary”.

Trump announced at the end of last year the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and therefore the launch of preparations to move American diplomatic headquarters from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite fierce controversy by Palestinian officials.

Jerusalem's status remains key to the issue of peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, with each side seeking to have the holy city as the capital of the possible two-state settlement.

Last month, Vice President Mike Pence said before the Israeli Parliament “ness” that the new Embassy would open “before the end of this year”.

The embassy's planned movement sparked a series of riots and protests throughout the Middle East, with officials of the Palestinian Authority blaming Trump for putting a major obstacle to negotiations.

During a bilateral meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the president said the embassy's issue was “outside the” table for discussions.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian diplomat, Saeb Erekas, reacted to those words.

“Jerusalem has not left the negotiating table, but it is the United States that is going beyond international consensus”, Erekat said in his statement, according to Israeli media. “Those who say that Jerusalem is off the table are saying peace cannot be discussed. The holy city is in the heart of every Palestinian, Arab, Christian, and Muslim, and there cannot be peace without East Jerusalem as the sovereign capital of the state of Palestine”.