A highly important symbolic decision made earlier this week by US President Donald Trump on the status of Jerusalem includes moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a pledge repeatedly made by Trump during his presidential campaign.
Despite the fact that the US president’s decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of the Israeli state has faced worldwide criticism and backlash, the White House has suggested that the embassy could be moved within three tofour years.
The question is: where would this new embassy be in Jerusalem? Theoretically speaking, there are two locations for a new US Embassy in the city, according to media reports. A RIA Novosti correspondent has explored both sites.
'Americans Could Choose Something Better'
There is land in Jerusalem set aside for a new US Embassy, according to The Washington Post. It is located on the edge of the Talpiot neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem.
In 1989, under US President Ronald Raegan, then-US Ambassador to Israel William Brown signed a contract for this piece of land for $1 a year on a 99-year lease. The Israeli government later zoned the area for a diplomatic premises with the intention of constructing a US Embassy there, according to the newspaper.
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According to the RIA Novosti correspondent, the area is now an empty field enclosed with a ramshackle fence on one of its sides. Nearby, there are small cozy homes surrounded by flowers. The site seems looks like no-man’s land. Old tires, mattresses and other rubbish can be seen strewn across the territory.
According to her, the area is mostly inhabited by the middle-class and its ethnic population is mixed. There are Arab settlements nearby.
"I guess the Americans could find a better place. They have a lot of money," the woman said, adding that the site of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv has a beautiful view of the sea.
The Washington Post noted that despite Trump’s intention to move the embassy, the area in Talpiot "may be unlikely to see a brighter future" due to security concerns and because it is not big enough.
US Consulate General
The second possible location is just a 15 minute walk away from the territory in Talpiot. It is part of a complex of buildings operated by the US Consulate General. According to Israeli media, the US State Department bought a piece of land adjacent to the Consulate, where a hotel called "Diplomat" is located.
The hotel is actually some kind of a home for elderly immigrants from the post-Soviet states. The RIA Novosti correspondent spoke with two women, residents of this hotel.
"We’ve been notified that they have an agreement with us until 2020," they said.
The women also said they’ve heard the news but said they were not worried about possible expulsion after 2020.
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"Why should we be worrying? They’ve already expanded. Recently, they turned another hotel in an admissions office," one of the women said. According to her, there is also a restaurant used by the US consulate. On non-visiting days, the restaurant is visited by tourists.
The RIA Novosti correspondent saw four tourist buses driving to the restaurant in 15 minutes.
One of the women also said that the Israeli Immigration Ministry is already constructing a new building in Jerusalem. The other woman said the building will not be ready by 2020 and the residents of the hotel will not be evicted.
