Israel bans Muslim call to prayer in Jerusalem on day of US embassy move

The Muslim call to prayer, or Adhan, has been banned by Israeli authorities on Monday as the official ceremony to inaugurate the U.S.’s newly-opened embassy in Jerusalem is underway.

The Jerusalem municipality issued the ban citing celebrations about the U.S. embassy move to the holy city as the reason behind the restriction.

Banners hoisted over the newly-minted embassy building read “Trump make Israel great” and “Trump is a friend of Zion.”

A total of 53 countries rejected Trump’s invitation to attend the opening ceremony.

Of the 86 invited diplomatic representatives, only 33 accepted to take part in the planned celebrations.

The embassy move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's decision last December to break with decades of U.S. policy and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The U.S. opens its embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, a move that has delighted Israel and infuriated Palestinians.

The opening ceremony is at a U.S. consular building in the Arnona neighborhood. It will house an interim embassy for the ambassador and a small staff until a larger site is found.

The compound cuts across the 1949 Armistice Line that separated West Jerusalem from No Man's Land, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War and has held under occupation ever since.