Israeli and the American flags are screened on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City on May 13, 2018, ahead of the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Photo: Yontan Sindel/Flash90.

JNS.org – The US embassy in Jerusalem will expand its office space, creating new entrances and service areas, thanks to fast-tracking of permits by the Jerusalem municipality.

According to a report in Hadashot news, the expansion will add 7,500 square feet to the existing structure, allowing more staff and services to be transferred from the former Tel Aviv embassy to the compound in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood.

“The permits that I signed yesterday for the US embassy in Jerusalem are another stage in establishing and setting the role of the embassy in Israel’s capital,” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

He expressed his happiness that he was able to support the “strategic decision” of US President Donald Trump to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

The new US embassy was opened on May 14, in time for Israel’s 70th anniversary in the same building used when the American consulate was in Jerusalem.