U.S. Marines Deployed After Violence Erupts Following Jerusalem Embassy Move
Image by Getty Images
The U.S. has called on dozens of additional Marines to secure its embassies in Jordan, Turkey and Israel due to concerns of a heightened threat of violence following the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, the Washington Post reported.
The deployment announcement came subsequent to the deaths of at least 55 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as riots continued marking the 70th anniversary of Nakba day, a national day of Palestinian mourning commemorating the “catastrophe” of Israel’s founding, held annually on May 15. The protests took place a day earlier than planned because of the embassy relocation and anger that the U.S. has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
A primary fear for Israeli security is that hundreds of Palestinians, including Hamas terrorists, will manage to break through the Gaza security fence and wreak havoc on Israeli civilians on the other side, the Times of Israel reported. The rioters have allegedly been throwing firebombs and explosive devices toward the Israeli side.
Monday marked the bloodiest day in Gaza since summer 2014’s Operation Protective Edge.
Marine Capt. Ryan Alvis reportedly said the Marines deployed are members of the Marine Security Guard Security Augmentation Unit, headquartered at Quantico, Va., and created in response to the deadly attacks on U.S. diplomatic and intelligence facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.
Marines who are part of the unit have previous experience serving as embassy security guards and typically deploy for about 45 days at a time, according to a Marine Corps briefing.
Contact Haley Cohen at [email protected]
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
