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Former Ambassador: Opening U.S. Embassy In Jerusalem ‘Confuses Policy’

Edward Djerejian, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Syria, says opening the embassy is a “major departure” and confuses policy more than clarifying it.

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Palestinians run for cover from tear gas during clashes with Israeli security forces near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

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As the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem was dedicated earlier today — and Palestinian protests resulted in dozens of deaths — Ambassador Edward Djerejian weighs in on the possible fallout from the decision. Djerejian is a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Syria and currently serves as the director of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

The ambassador calls Pres. Trump’s decision “a major departure” and said the move confuses policy more than clarifying it.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (second left), his wife Sara Netanyahu (left), Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner (third left), President Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump (center), U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (right) and Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin (second right) applaud at the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Monday.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images/ Via NPR
Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images/ Via NPR

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