Free Republic

A 2,700-year-old archaeological site recently uncovered in Jerusalem now offers an extraordinary glimpse into the life of the region at the time of biblical kings. Located in the southern part of the city, between Talpiot and Ramat Rachel, the Arnona neighborhood acquired international fame when two years ago it became home to the US Embassy in Israel. Quiet and green, the area presents many spectacular views over the Judean Desert and even the Dead Sea, which can often be enjoyed from the new multi-story buildings that keep on springing up. It was while preparing the site for a new residential...

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will open in May to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel declaring its independence, Trump administration officials said Friday. A senior State Department official said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson approved a security plan late Thursday for an embassy location to open in Jerusalem. “We are excited about taking this historic step, and look forward with anticipation to the May opening,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Friday. Officials told Fox News the embassy would initially be located in the neighborhood of Arnona on a compound that currently houses the...

Israeli report says developments violate agreements; guards say the chief security officer is establishing ‘a militia’ The US Consulate in Jerusalem is training a force of 35 Palestinians from East Jerusalem to serve as armed guards, particularly for consular trips to the West Bank’s Area A, which is off-limits to Israelis, it was reported on Wednesday. The arrangement violates a 2011 agreement between Israel and the consulate, the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth stated, whereby only IDF combat veterans would be authorized to carry arms as consulate guards. “The consulate was authorized to keep roughly 100 handguns for security staff, on...