Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Raisina Dialogue in India on Tuesday. Photo: Avi Ohayon / GPO.

JNS.org – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during an address in India on Tuesday he expected the American embassy that is currently in Tel Aviv to move to Jerusalem within the coming year, as part of a policy announcement made in December by US President Donald Trump.

“Three things are happening in the US which have never happened before. My estimation is that the US embassy move will happen faster than we think. Within the span of a year. That’s my educated guess,” Netanyahu said.

Trump had said in his announcement of policy changes on Jerusalem last month that his intention to move the embassy, along with his recognition of the city as Israel’s capital, “is nothing more or less than the recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”

Congress passed legislation to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem in 1995, yet successive presidents, including Trump, have signed a waiver every six months to prevent the move due to security considerations.

“After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result,” Trump said on Dec. 6, noting that his announcement marked the start of “the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.”