Israel Approves Site for Permanent US Embassy in Jerusalem

Israel approved the allocation of land at the Allenby Complex in Jerusalem for the construction of a permanent United States Embassy on Tuesday, in a decision announced in a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and Housing Minister Chaim Katz.

The leaders described the move as a “major diplomatic move” that builds on US President Donald Trump’s 2018 decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the embassy there, calling the new project a “tangible, central, and long-term expression of the US’ commitment to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the resilience of the special relationship between the two countries.”

The approved site is located at the Allenby Complex, a former military base near Jerusalem’s Talpiot area, situated between Hebron Road, Hanoch Albek Street, and Daniel Yanovski Street. The agreement allocates approximately 31 dunams of land for the project under a 99-year lease at a symbolic annual rent of $1.

The United States has operated its embassy in Jerusalem since May 14, 2018, but from a facility in the Arnona neighborhood, on the site of the former US Consulate General. The newly approved project is intended to establish a permanent diplomatic compound in the capital.

In their statement, Netanyahu, Sa’ar, and Katz thanked US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for his cooperation and credited the Foreign Ministry for advancing the decision. They added that “At a time when Israel and the US stand shoulder to shoulder in the campaign against the Iranian terrorist regime, this decision carries special significance.”

The embassy project is expected to serve as a long-term anchor of US diplomatic presence in Jerusalem, though no timeline for construction has been publicly announced.