US Ambassador to Israel: Washington to Begin Building Permanent Embassy in Jerusalem Soon

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced that the United States will soon lay the cornerstone for its permanent embassy complex in Jerusalem.

During a reception hosted by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion for foreign diplomats in Safra Square on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the throne, Huckabee told attendees, “We will soon lay the cornerstone on our property to begin construction of the U.S. Embassy, which will serve as our permanent headquarters instead of having us scattered across the country.”

Huckabee acknowledged that construction could take years, but described the project as a long-term U.S. commitment to the city, saying, “It is our commitment, the United States of America, and our partnership with Israel, to say that we will leave a permanent footprint in this city.”

He praised the city’s development and said the permanent embassy would make the U.S. presence in Jerusalem more difficult to reverse, adding, “There is no way that someone in the future will come and try to remove us from Jerusalem, where we belong.”

Israel and the United States signed an agreement on July 1 designating the Allenby complex in southern Jerusalem as the site of the permanent embassy, after Israel approved the location in March.

The project follows President Donald Trump’s 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the opening of the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.

Lion hosted the diplomatic corps, which included British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters. His attendance was notable because the British Embassy remains in Tel Aviv and the United Kingdom does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

Lion used the traditional theme of the throne anniversary, welcoming guests, to address the diplomats, saying, “Tonight, you are our guests,” and describing Jerusalem as “open, welcoming, and diverse.”

Lion also urged more countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem, noting that nine countries currently have missions there and that Colombia is expected to become the tenth in the coming weeks.