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Relocated U.S. Embassy To Open In Jerusalem In May

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The U.S. Embassy in Israel will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May.

The move will coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's independence, CBS News reported Friday.

Two members of President Donald Trump's administration told The Associated Press that Congress would be notified of the move later Friday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed off on the security plan for the new embassy on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump visits Israel
In this handout photo provided by the Israel Government Press Office (GPO), US President Donald J Trump (L) meets with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the King David Hotel May 22, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo by Amos Ben Gershom/GPO via Getty Images)

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Friday, the president said going to Jerusalem is "the right thing to do." He said foreign countries put pressure on him not to move the embassy and begged him, "Don't do it, don't do it." He added the campaign against moving the embassy was "incredible," but added the number of people in favor of moving the embassy was also significant.

Trump said, ultimately, his administration "did the right thing" by relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv.

The May opening marks a significant acceleration. Vice President Mike Pence had said the embassy would open by the end of 2019, and Tillerson had said it could take years.

Initially, the embassy will consist of just a few offices inside an existing U.S. facility in Jerusalem.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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