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US embassy in Israel stays open despite government shutdown

“Essential personnel” will “continue to provide emergency services, as well as routine services to American citizens,” State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters.

A view of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, Feb. 24, 2018. Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
A view of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, Feb. 24, 2018. Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

Part of the U.S. government is closed after Congress was unable to pass a budget on Friday over the funding for the government that was not provided last summer.

This comes as there was not at least nine Democrats to meet the 60-vote threshold to avoid a Senate filibuster and pass a $5 billion House bill for U.S. President Donald Trump’s desired border wall.

But U.S. embassies, including the one in Jerusalem, will remain open.

“Essential personnel” will “continue to provide emergency services, as well as routine services to American citizens,” State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters on Tuesday.

This includes “passport and consular services, visa services, assisting American citizens overseas.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Friday that the upper chamber will meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the situation.

The Islamic Republic wrote that U.S. and Israeli vessels, and those of “other participants in the aggression” don’t “qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage” through the vital energy corridor.
“When hate-driven narratives are allowed to masquerade as neutral information, the consequences extend far beyond Wikipedia itself,” Yfat Barak-Cheney of the WJC stated.
“The convergence of ideologically, politically and religiously motivated violent extremist threats to the Jewish community and, by extension, Jewish public officials drives this elevated threat,” the report said.

At a U.S. State Department gathering of first spouses, Netanyahu urged leaders to condemn online harassment of minors.
“We’ve won this,” the U.S. president said. “This war has been won.”
The legislation would expand federal database access and require schools to submit a list of all individuals on visas.