A view of the then-future U.S. embassy in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, Feb. 24, 2018. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

JNS.org – The United States recently submitted a request to Israeli authorities to “begin preparing” the Allenby compound in Jerusalem for the construction of the US permanent embassy in the country, reported Israel’s Channel 12.

The outlet reported, citing anonymous sources, on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump seeks to relocate the embassy to its permanent location if he wins re-election in 2020 and could travel to lay the cornerstone during the election campaign.

“We have started the process of site selection for a permanent US embassy to Israel in Jerusalem,” an embassy spokesperson told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. “We are looking at all sites we currently lease or own, including the Arnona property.”

The United States relocated its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018, five months after recognizing the latter as the capital of the Jewish state.

The current embassy is located in the former US consulate on Jerusalem’s Agron Street.