RAMALLAH, May 14-- The controversial transfer of the U.S. Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will lead to more chaos and instability in the Middle East, Palestinian analysts say. An official inauguration of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem was held Monday afternoon, as Israeli and U.S. officials gathered in the city amid deadly clashes in the Gaza Strip. Last December, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ordered the relocation of U.S. Embassy to Israel to the disputed holy city. Some 800 guests, including a senior U.S. Congress delegation, attended the ceremony held at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, which will serve as the temporary embassy until the new one is built. A total of 86 foreign ambassadors to Israel were invited to the opening ceremony, with about 40 of them accepting the invitation. Palestinian analysts say the U.S. embassy move, met by wide Arab, Islamic and international rejection, will trigger escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis as well as hindering the resumption of the stalled peace talks in the near future. Since March 30, thousands of Palestinians have been staging weekly mass protests, known as the "Great March of Return" rally, in the Gaza-Israeli border areas, leading to the death of about 100 Palestinians by Israeli fire. On Monday, new clashes erupted in the wake of the inauguration of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, where 52, including at least two minors, were killed by Israeli forces and 1,700 others injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry. |