Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump to Attend Jerusalem Embassy Opening

Jared and Ivanka Trump (Michael Reynolds / Pool / Getty)
Michael Reynolds / Pool / Getty

White House advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are confirmed to attend the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, Israel, on May 14, according to the left-wing Israeli daily Ha’aretz.

Ha’aretz notes that the two will be representing the Trump administration at the highly-anticipated ceremony.

(Update: Axios reported Sunday that Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin will be officially leading the delegation.)

It is not yet clear whether President Donald Trump will attend the ceremony himself, as he will be preoccupied with the Iran deal — which will hit a crucial deadline May 12 — as well as preparations for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Kushner and Ivanka Trump are also the president’s son-in-law and daughter, respectively, and active in the American Jewish community. Ivanka Trump converted to Judaism through an Orthodox process, and the two observe Jewish law, including the Sabbath. On the weekend prior to the election in 2016, they visited the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in Brooklyn, New York, a pilgrimage site for many religious Jews.

Kushner is responsible for the diplomatic portfolio pertaining to the Middle East peace process. His presence at the opening will send a strong signal of American commitment to the confirmation of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — even as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas continued to urge the U.S. to reconsider its decision.

“The Palestinians will not allow any country to move its embassy to Jerusalem before there’s a solution [to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict],” he said, as quoted by the Times of Israel.

Russia already recognizes “West Jerusalem” as Israel’s capital. Guatemala has decided to move its embassy to Jerusalem, and Romania is considering a similar move.

The Czech Republic will open an honorary consulate — though not an embassy — in Jerusalem, in deference to European Union policy.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named to Forward’s 50 “most influential” Jews in 2017. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

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