Trump says he ‘may’ attend embassy opening in Jerusalem

by Jordan Fabian - 04/27/18 3:29 PM ET

President Trump said Friday he might travel to Israel next month to attend the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

“I may go. I’m very proud of it,” Trump said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Trump left the door open to a trip after Israeli media reported he is unlikely to attend the opening ceremony for the facility after he controversially moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

{mosads}The president boasted that he saved money on the project by rejecting a proposal to build a new embassy for $1 billion. Instead, the embassy will be temporarily located in a building that currently houses the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, costing several hundred thousand dollars.

“I had my name half-signed and then I noticed the figure and I just did,” Trump said, drawing the letter “x“ with his hand. “I never got to the word ‘Trump.’ I had ‘Donald’ signed but I never got to the word ‘Trump.’”

The president announced last December he would move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, fulfilling a major promise from the 2016 campaign.

But the announcement sparked anger across the Arab world, and also among Palestinians who want the eastern part of Jerusalem to be the capital of a future independent state.

If Trump decided to attend the embassy opening, it could further inflame tensions in Israel, where a number of Palestinians have died in violent protests along the Gaza border recently.

Tags Donald Trump east jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem embassy