U.S. embassy in Tunisia closes over potential protests

CAIRO – 8 December 2017: The American embassy in Tunisia decided to close its doors on Friday morning due to any potential protests as a consequence of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel.

In an official statement, the embassy said the procedure comes due to security concerns.

On Friday morning, Tunisia summoned the U.S. ambassador to express their anger over America’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi informed his country’s U.S. ambassador of Tunisia's condemnation of the U.S. administration's decision, according to Tunisian media.

Essebsi called on his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas to take an international procedure against Trump’s decision. He added that his country considers Jerusalem an integral part of the Palestinian territories that have been occupied since 1967.

On Wednesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during a televised speech from the White House. Trump’s decision was met by a barrage of criticism and condemnations from many Arab and world leaders, while protests took places in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and different parts of the Arab world.