US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters / Kevin Lamarque.

President Donald Trump said on Friday he might travel to Israel next month to attend the opening of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem.

“I may go,” he stated. “Very proud of it.”

Last December, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordered the relocation of the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

At a joint White House press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, Trump recalled, “The papers were put before me to sign an application for more than $1 billion to build an embassy. I had my name half-signed and I noticed the figure and I never got to the word ‘Trump.’”

According to Trump’s memory, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman then told him that an embassy could be built for $150,000 and opened up in three months, instead of ten years.

Trump said ultimately he authorized the spending of $300,000-$400,000 on the project.

“It’s going to be beautiful and it could be somewhat temporary,” Trump said. “But that’s the way government works. They were going to spend a billion dollars and we’re going to spend much less than half a million dollars.”

The embassy, which will operate at first from the current US Consulate in Jerusalem, is set to be officially dedicated on May 14, the secular 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment.