Israeli finance minister Moshe Kahlon announced Wednesday he was instructing Israel’s planning and zoning authorities to offer the US diplomatic mission in Israel a blanket exemption from certain zoning requirements in order to allow for the moving of the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14.
According to a Hadashot TV news report over the past few days American officials have reportedly met with the relevant Israeli authorities to get permission for urgent security-related construction work they say is necessary to convert the consulate in the Arnona neighborhood in southern Jerusalem into an embassy.
The Americans want to build a three-meter wall around the site and pave a new road from the site among other changes. However the site’s current zoning status does not allow for such changes and need special permission.
In a Hebrew-language press release Wednesday which he also posted on Twitter Kahlon said:
“I am delighted both as finance minister and as [the official] responsible for planning in the state of Israel to sign today a recommendation to the [National] Council [for Planning and Construction] to issue an exemption from an infrastructures construction permit in order to enable the American embassy to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Good luck and [do it] as quickly as possible.”
In a follow-up tweet Kahlon turned to English and addressed US President Donald Trump directly.
“President DonaldTrump I’m happy to inform you that we are moving forward with the preparations making sure that no bureaucracy slows down the process of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.”
