Israel to build embassy quarter in Jerusalem

Israel is confident that more countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem and is making preparations in advance. 

By Jack Gold, World Israel News

Israel is preparing a special embassy quarter in Jerusalem to facilitate the relocation of more embassies to its capital, Israel National News reported.

Officials from Israel’s Construction and Housing Ministry on Wednesday announced plans to build a complex in the capital with space for nine embassies.

According to the report, the plan is being promoted by Construction and Housing Minister Yoav Galant, who instructed ministry officials to prepare for additional embassy moves.

The new embassy quarter is expected to be established on a plot of land in the Armon HaNatziv neighborhood, on 25 acres of land, and will include both embassy facilities and housing for embassy staff.

Some 60,000 square meters (approx. 646,000 square feet) of building space will be included in the project, with an option to expand to 80,000 square meters (approx.. 861,000 square feet), ministry officials said.

“I am convinced that many more countries will relocate their embassies to Jerusalem,” Galant was quoted as saying by INN, while urging “the international community to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem, our eternal capital. It is the right thing to do. Make the move quickly, the best places are going to be taken quickly.”

Australia is set to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel since the country’s national security committee approved the move on Tuesday night, Times of Israel reported.

The U.S. was the first country to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, followed by Guatemala two days later.

Other countries, among them the Czech Republic and Brazil, have announced their intention to move their embassies to Jerusalem.