Opening
of U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Press
Statement
U.S.
Department of State
February 23,
2018
In
May, the United States plans to open a new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The
opening will coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary. The Embassy will
initially be located in the Arnona neighborhood, in a modern building that now
houses consular operations of U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem. Those consular
operations, including American citizen and visa services, will continue at the
Arnona facility without interruption, as part of the Embassy. Consulate General
Jerusalem will continue to operate as an independent mission with an unchanged
mandate, from its historic Agron Road location. Initially, the interim Embassy
in Arnona will contain office space for the Ambassador and a small staff. By the
end of next year, we intend to open a new Embassy Jerusalem annex on the Arnona
compound that will provide the Ambassador and his team with expanded interim
office space. In parallel, we have started the search for a site for our
permanent Embassy to Israel, the planning and construction of which will be a
longer-term undertaking. We are excited about taking this historic step, and
look forward with anticipation to the May opening.