'Forever capital of the Jewish people': US signs agreement to build permanent embassy in Jerusalem
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Forever capital of the Jewish people': US signs agreement to build permanent embassy in Jerusalem")
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar sign the lease for America's permanent new embassy complex in Jerusalem. Photograph: (X@USAmbIsrael)
The move builds on President Donald Trump's decision during his first term to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv.
The United States on Wednesday (July 01) signed an agreement to build a permanent embassy compound in Jerusalem, with Israel calling the move another sign of the "unbreakable alliance" between the two countries. The new diplomatic complex will be built at the Allenby compound in southern Jerusalem.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at Israel's foreign ministry, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said Washington "recognises Jerusalem as the eternal, indigenous, and forever capital of the Jewish people".
Huckabee said the United States was making a lasting commitment to its diplomatic presence in Israel.
"We are going to plant our flag, our American flag, on the soil of Jerusalem for a permanent and brand new embassy compound that will serve as our mothership of diplomatic activities here in Israel," he said.
"I would say God made that decision 3,800 years ago, and we finally got around to acknowledging what had been determined long before the United States of America came along."
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the agreement to construct a permanent US embassy in Jerusalem further strengthened ties between the two allies.
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"President Trump's historic decision in 2017 to move the embassy to Jerusalem set the record straight," Saar said.
“And today, with the agreement to begin building a permanent embassy complex, that decision becomes even deeper and more enduring.”
The agreement follows President Donald Trump's decision during his first term to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017 and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv.
The US went ahead with the plan even though Palestinians continue to seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Because of these competing claims, most countries have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv, maintaining that Jerusalem's final status should be settled through peace negotiations in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The agreement also comes after reports of differences between the United States and Israel over Israeli military strikes in Lebanon, which raised concerns about reigniting the conflict with Iran.
The development follows the recent US and Israeli military campaign against Iran that ended with a ceasefire, despite signs of friction between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how the conflict should conclude.
