Trump announces delegation to Israel for opening of US embassy in Jerusalem

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Monday announced the designation of a presidential delegation to Israel to attend the opening of the US embassy.

According to a White House statement, the opening ceremony will be on May 14. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation.

Other members include US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, assistant and senior advisor to the president Jared Kushner, assistant and advisor to the president Ivanka Trump, and Jason Greenblatt, assistant to the president and special representative for international negotiations.

Trump said last week that he "may" go to Jerusalem for the opening himself.

Earlier on Monday, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat urged the international community to boycott the opening of the US embassy.

The PLO official said that "those who attend the ceremony will send an ominous message, a message that encourages flagrant violations of international law and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people."

Relations between Palestine and the United States reached an all-time low when Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv on Dec 6, 2017.