Jerusalem’s Enhanced and Secure Accommodations Act of 2017

The United States was among the first countries to recognize Israel as an independent nation on May 14, 1948, and over the decades, Israel has remained one of America’s strong allies.

The first United States Ambassador to Israel was James Grover McDonald in March 1949.

The United States Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, opened in 1966 to maintain and promote diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The United States maintains a Consulate General in Jerusalem.

The United States Embassy in Israel remains the only United States Embassy not located in a country’s capital city, even though the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–45) directed the United States Embassy to be relocated in Jerusalem by May 31, 1999, and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228) urged the President to begin relocating the embassy “immediately”, every President since 1995 has signed a waiver in the interest of national security to delay the move of the embassy.

The United States Ambassador has a residence in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv; however, for decades, ambassadors have spent a significant amount of their time in Jerusalem. For convenience and security, many of them have established their own temporary residences and have held official business meetings and stayed in hotels in Jerusalem.

reaffirms that Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States; and

expresses support for individuals and organizations working to encourage cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians to bring an end to the conflict.

In general— The Secretary of State is authorized, notwithstanding any other provision of law, to establish in Jerusalem, Israel, a permanent residence for the United States ambassador to Israel.

Location— The permanent residence described in subsection (a) may be located at the United States consulate in Jerusalem, Israel, or at a different location in Jerusalem, as the Secretary of State determines appropriate.