Israel expedites process for US embassy construction in al-Quds

Israel has expedited the bureaucratic process for construction of temporary quarters for the future US embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds by waiving some building permits required for the site.

On Tuesday, Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said he would authorize the Jerusalem al-Quds municipality to waive the permits required for a wall and an escape route at the site, which is located at a provisional site in the city that currently serves as a US consular section.

"We will not allow needless bureaucracy to hold up the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem, Israel's eternal capital," Kahlon said.

“The planning agencies under me will do whatever is necessary to accommodate the schedule being demanded," he added.

Tel Aviv says the temporary site for the US embassy will be inaugurated on the 70th anniversary of Israel’s formation on May 14.

Earlier this month, Mayor of Jerusalem al-Quds Nir Barkat expressed concern about the timeline and the tightness of schedules.

"Initially, the interim embassy in (the Jerusalem neighborhood of) Arnona will contain office space for the Ambassador and a small staff," a US embassy official in Tel Aviv said.

"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," he said.

Construction of a permanent embassy could take several years and the search for its site has already started.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community.

In December last year, US President Donald Trump sparked global uproar by announcing a dramatic shift in Washington’s policy on Jerusalem al-Quds. He declared that the US was recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and planning to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.

PressTV-Trump: Jerusalem al-Quds is Israel's capital

US President Donald Trump has recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with the eastern part of Jerusalem al-Quds, which remains at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as its capital.

Relations between the US and Palestine have been strained and there have been regular anti-US protests by Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since Trump declared his decision on al-Quds. Many say Trump's move has effectively killed any chances of further negotiations.

The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem al-Quds policy drew fierce criticism from the international community, including Washington's Western allies, and triggered protests against the US and Israel worldwide.

The United Nations General Assembly later voted by a resounding majority to reject Trump's Jerusalem al-Quds move.

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