From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Israel offically approves site for construction of new US embassy in Jerusalem
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Israel officially allocates land in southern Jerusalem for the construction of a new US embassy, say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Housing Minister Haim Katz in a joint statement.
They say that construction of the building “constitutes a tangible, central and long-term expression of the United States’ commitment to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to the strength of the special relationship between the two countries.”
“At a time when Israel and the United States stand side by side in the campaign against the Iranian terrorist regime, the decision carries special significance and serves as further evidence of the strength of the relationship, the solid alliance, and the shared values and strategic partnership between the two nations,” they say.
They thank US Ambassador Mike Huckabee for his close cooperation.
The embassy will be built on the abandoned Allenby military base on the outskirts of the Talpiot neighborhood, which was constructed by the Ottomans and later used by the IDF until the 1990s.
The embassy will be situated between Hebron Road, Hanoch Albek Street and Daniel Yanovski Street — an area that is just inside the 1949 Green Line that separates Israel from the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
US President Donald Trump decided in 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy there.
The current US Embassy in Jerusalem opened in temporary premises on May 14, 2018, Israel’s 70th Independence Day, on the site of the relatively small former US Consulate General in the Arnona neighborhood, not far from the newly confirmed embassy site.
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