At least 50 diplomats will staff the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem when it opens next week, The Associated Press reported Friday.
Included in the staff will be aides of Ambassador David Friedman and consular staff already working at the passport facility where the embassy will be housed temporarily until a permanent facility is build in the future.
The embassy is moving from Tel Aviv as part of President Trump’s decision earlier this year to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that infuriated Israel’s neighbors and was condemned by the international community.
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Palestinians also claim Jerusalem as their capital, and Trump’s announcement was widely seen as a blow to peace talks.
Nearly 800 guests are expected to attend next week’s embassy opening ceremony, though Trump has said he will not join the high-ranking delegation of U.S. officials present.
The mayor of Jerusalem announced this week that the city would name a square near the embassy in Trump’s honor for his historic declaration, which broke with decades of foreign policy norms.
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