Embassies in Jerusalem? Diplomatic missions in Mecca?

It's a little strange when the list of examples for something consists of Israel and Saudi Arabia, but that seems to be the case when looking at some of the issues surrounding where countries choose to situate their embassies and other diplomatic missions.

First, Jerusalem: The status of any land in Israel and particularly the status of Jerusalem seems bound to create controversy. Now you've got Obama stating that Democratic support for Jerusalem as the US-recognized capital of Israel. Governments worldwide have chosen NOT to situate embassies in Jerusalem - there are no embassies there (although a some countries maintain offices of some sort). Embassies remain in Tel Aviv on somewhat less controversial land. I'm still a little confused as to why this should be an important issue in the US presidential elections though.

Second, Saudi Arabia: One thing that Saudi Arabia enforces (alongside the rest of its restrictions on religious freedom) is the exclusion of non-Muslims from a geographical region encompassing Mecca and perhaps some of it's surroundings.

(Photo by Saicome - used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license)

Some have suggested that Canada should situate a diplomatic mission in Hajj, given that much of the foreign travel to the country is Hajj-related. Here a few comments that appeared in the media following a Canadian imam's encounter in that region with the religious police:

“The Canadian government did put pressure (on the Saudi government) but it took some time. They didn’t have anyone in place in those places,” [Islamic Human Rights Commission] chairman Massoud Shadjareh told Postmedia News.
... Shadjareh said the IHRC will call on the Canadian government to follow in the U.K.’s steps in providing support staff, such as a team of advisers and medics, to residents making the pilgrimage to Mecca. He said that if federal officials were present in Mecca and Medina, Sunday’s violent incident may not have occurred or it would have been resolved faster.
“It’s essential that the Canadian government offer its services to its citizens,” he said, noting that millions of people make the pilgrimage each year.
(Source: The National Post)

Given the Saudi government's position it would seem that any officials working in a diplomatic mission would be required to be Muslim, I'd have to say that I consider it a positive thing that Canada has no diplomatic mission there and no other country seems to have a diplomatic mission there either.

Lest you think that these restrictions might only apply to "normal" travel, French special forces that flushed out rebels who'd taken hostages in the Grand Mosque of Mecca back in 1979 were required to formally (and dubiously) convert to Islam to gain access to the area- I wonder if they gave much thought to Saudi Arabia imposing a death penalty for apostasy?