US Delegation Arrives in Jerusalem to Celebrate Embassy Move

The US delegation has arrived for the official embassy dedication ceremony in Jerusalem.

That delegation includes advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, and several members of Congress.

The group arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport Sunday. The ceremony will take place Monday.

MUST SEE: US Delegation Arrives in Israel.

President Trump will not attend the ceremony.  However, daughter Ivanka took to twitter to celebrate the momentous occasion.

I am honored to join the delegation representing @POTUS, his Admin & the American people at this momentous ceremony commemorating the opening of our new US Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. We will pray for the boundless potential of the US-Israel alliance & we will pray for peace. pic.twitter.com/ulYbJAfTcL

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) May 12, 2018

In December, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and in February he announced that the Embassy would move in May from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The president has boasted the move is under budget.

The decision was years in the making and won the praise of many Christians who see Jerusalem as the rightful capital of Israel. They also call the move a fulfilment of biblical prophecy.

Critics, including Palestinian Authority President Abbas, say it will sever any chances of the US leading peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said on Sunday that the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem was much more than just moving to another building or moving people to another place. Rather, it’s about a new order in the Middle East with Israel’s neighbors and in the country and the city.

"It starts off by President Trump declaring unequivocally that the city of Jerusalem has deep roots to the people of Israel and to the Jewish people and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state," Barkat told journalists on Sunday.

"Seventy years later after we celebrated our anniversary and liberty of the State of Israel that recognition is very, very important and strategic for us because it’s recognition of the connection of Jerusalem to the past and helps us better fulfill the vision of Jerusalem into the future," he said.

Barkat was speaking on the occasion of Israel’s 51st Jerusalem Day celebration. Last year was a big year when Israel celebrated the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem under its sovereignty. CBN documentaries produced the docudrama, “In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem,” in honor of the anniversary. It tells the story of the reuniting of Jerusalem under Israel sovereignty during the 1967 Six-Day War.

The CBN News team in Jerusalem will be on hand to cover the entire ceremony Monday.

MUST SEE: This year marks 70 years since the reestablishment of Israel as a modern nation. CLICK HERE for more about CBN's new movie, "To Life," on the positive global impact of Israel.