The US diplomat who died at the Jerusalem embassy in Israel has been named as 54-year-old Orlando Bandeira.
Army Reserve soldier Bandeira, from Tampa, Florida, was supporting security for the Department of State when he died in a a non-combat related incident on March 4, the Department of Defense said on Thursday.
Further details of that incident have not been shared.
He was was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 94th Training Division in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Just a week ago, Bandeira posted on his Linked In page that he was starting work at the Jerusalem embassy.
‘I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Deputy Chief of Operations at U.S. Embassy Jerusalem!’ he wrote.
The US diplomat who died at the Jerusalem embassy in Israel has been named as 54-year-old Orlando Bandeira
Bandeira, pictured right, He was was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 94th Training Division in Indianapolis, Indiana
Just a week ago, Bandeira posted on his Linked In page that he was starting work at the Jerusalem embassy
According to his Linked In account, Bandeira had been looking for a job working remotely or in Tampa after 23 years in the military.
A spokesperson for the embassy confirmed the death in a brief statement on Monday.
‘We can confirm the death of an American employee of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. We have no further details to share,’ they said.
They added that ‘foul play is not suspected,’ and the incident is under investigation, but have not released any further information at this time.
A friend of Bandeira wrote on Facebook that the had ‘died in honor of defending our great nation.’
Justin Belill wrote: ‘He deployed to Israel and became an angel to grace heaven with his kindness, compassion, and love. He was a Soldier; brave, true to his word, and gave 100% to his friends, family, and country.
‘He died in honor of defending our great nation. We were roommates for almost seven years in Tampa. He left behind a beautiful daughter, Sophia. Nobody can replace you, Orlando. I love you, bro.’
A friend of Bandeira wrote on Facebook that the had ‘died in honor of defending our great nation’
In 2018, the Trump administration moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, from Tel Aviv, where it had been for some five decades.
In 2017, Trump broke with years and years of US policy by officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel.
The move delighted Trump supporters and Israelis, but infuriated Palestinians and parts of the Arab world.
The embassy move was a signature tenet of Trump’s 2016 campaign agenda. The proposal was especially popular among evangelical Christians, many of whom supported Trump’s campaign and his choice of Mike Pence as VP.
Since the mid-90s, US presidents both Republican and Democrat failed to move the embassy to Jerusalem, despite the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which was passed by Congress and became law in 1995.