The US embassy in Jerusalem has begun building a 5.8-meter-high wall surrounding its courtyard in its new location in the Arnona neighborhood, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Wednesday.
According to the site, a 3.2-meter-high wall was approved at the opening of the embassy, ​​but was again allowed to be raised to 5.8 meters. The residents of the neighborhood complain that the barrier prevents them from seeing the landscape that is part of their lives in the area.
Residents addressed a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as to US Ambassador David Friedman, demanding his retreat.
The Jerusalem municipality responded to residents´ demands that the fence was lifted for security purposes as part of the implementation of pre-approved emergency instructions, including the construction of an embassy road.
The US embassy commented that because of very serious security issues, all US embassies around the world are built with the same existing infrastructure.
