The U.S. embassy’s annual Independence Day celebration will take place in Jerusalem this year, for the first time, a little more than a year after the embassy was relocated from Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 2, at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.
In previous years, the embassy’s July 4 celebration took place at the U.S. ambassador’s Herzliya residence. Last year’s event, however, was held at Airport City near Ben-Gurion Airport to accommodate hundreds of American and Israeli dignitaries, who were treated to an assortment of all-American fare. Hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, it was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Russia became the first country last year to celebrate its foremost national holiday in Jerusalem, holding a large affair at the 130-year-old Sergei Courtyard of the city’s Russian Compound. This year’s Russia Day event is scheduled for Herzliya.