US envoy Huckabee pays one dollar for 99-year lease for Jerusalem embassy
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In a ceremonial gesture, US Ambassador to ‘Israel’ Mike Huckabee presented ‘Israeli’ Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar with a single US dollar on Wednesday, formalizing a 99-year lease for land designated for a permanent American embassy compound in Jerusalem.
The agreement, signed at ‘Israel’s’ Foreign Ministry in the presence of Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, allocates the Allenby Compound in southern Jerusalem for the future embassy site, adjacent to the current temporary facility.
السفير الأمريكي في إسرائيل 'مايك هاكابي' يدفع دولاراً واحداً مقابل استئجار أرض طُرد أصحابها الفلسطينيون منها في مدينة القدس لمدة 99 عاماً لإقامة مبنى سفارة الولايات المتحدة.
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Huckabee described the transaction as establishing a long-term commitment, with the lease renewable and the nominal annual fee of one dollar serving as a symbolic affirmation of partnership.
‘Israeli’ officials hailed the development as a milestone. Sa’ar credited former President Donald Trump’s 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as ‘Israel’s’ capital and the 2018 embassy relocation for paving the way.
The site in West Jerusalem was seized by ‘Israel’ in 1950.
Palestinian families, including claims associated with pre-1948 owners, assert that the land was unlawfully seized.
The move is expected to intensify international debate regarding Jerusalem’s status. Under international law, the city’s eastern sector is widely considered occupied territory, and many nations do not recognize ‘Israeli’ sovereignty over the entire city.
