What we know about location of the new US embassy in Jerusalem

Seventy years ago, Egyptian and Jordanian soldiers of the Arab Army at the time fought against members of several Israeli militias, to control a strategic part of the southern suburb of Jerusalem 800 meters from the sea. The Dead Sea is 35 kilometers away from here.

The fighting was fierce between the two sides in the Arnona area on May 15, 1948 where the British Mandate era was established. In 1931, they gave the same name to the finest district in the occupied city. According to archived information reviewed by Al-Arabiya.net, the area came under the control of Israel in 1967 and has remained so till the present.

A Jordanian river by the same name

The name Arnona was almost forgotten until it was decided that the US Embassy will move from Tel Aviv on May 14. The area's residents saw workers installing signs in Hebrew, Arabic and English to Argon Street where the embassy is set to move.

The name Arnona in Hebrew means "roar" and is derived from a branch of the river that passes through the region. The river in Jordan is called "Wadi Mujib", and a group of valleys in Jordan is also known as Arnon.

Disputed, demilitarized area

The region is under dispute as per a report published in the New York Times last February stating that it is also demilitarized.

“No Man’s Land is occupied territory, any permanent status for that territory should be part of a final status negotiation.” as per a report with Ashraf Khatib of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Negotiations Affairs Department, to the newspaper.

The report also indicated that the fortified compound, to be built by the US embassy, will be located until a permanent building is found between occupied West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem.

It said that the American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel raises questions about what parts of the city Washington regards as the capital of the occupation forces.