US Ambassador to Israel Huckabee says construction of embassy in Jerusalem will begin soon — Jerusalem Post

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that the United States will soon begin construction of a permanent US embassy complex in Jerusalem, Israel. He said this at a reception for foreign diplomats organized by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon at Safra Square, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Site for the embassy

According to Huckabee, the new complex is intended to become the permanent location of the US embassy, replacing the current arrangement in which its structures are located in different parts of the country. He acknowledged that construction could take years and called the project a long-term US commitment to the city.

On July 1, Israel and the United States signed an agreement to allocate the Allenby complex in southern Jerusalem for a permanent embassy. Israel approved the location in March. The project will be implemented following US President Donald Trump’s 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and open the US embassy in the city in 2018.

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Reception for diplomats

Moshe Leon and his wife, Stavit, hosted representatives of the diplomatic corps in the city’s 800-square-meter sukkah, which can accommodate about 650 people at once. According to the organizers, 46 ambassadors were invited to the event, and 32 attended.

Among the participants was the British Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters. The British Embassy remains in Tel Aviv, and the United Kingdom does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem until the city’s status is resolved through negotiations. Leon also called on other countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem and said that nine diplomatic missions already operate there, while Colombia could become the tenth in the coming weeks.