© Reuters
The White House statement on January 22 comes amid media reports in Israel that U.S. President Donald Trump is on the verge of announcing the move.
Trump spoke the same day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying only that the talks were "very nice."
Netanyahu said Trump had invited him to visit Washington next month and he had accepted the invitation. He said the two had a "very warm" phone conversation.
Trump had pledged during his campaign for the presidency to move the embassy to Jerusalem, a move that would upset Palestinians and Arab countries in the region.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said on January 22 that he welcomes the Trump administration's announcement on the embassy's move.
Netanyahu said before the phone call that he planned to meet with Trump soon to discuss what he sees are the dangers from Iran and its "cruel" government.
Earlier on January 22, Israeli authorities in Jerusalem approved the construction of 566 new settler homes in three settlements in the eastern part of the city.
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turgeman told Israeli radio that the decision had been postponed until U.S. President Barack Obama -- who was critical of new Israeli settlements in the occupied areas -- had left office.
The question here is what is the new regimes' policy in regards to the Israeli 'nazis? This can be kowtowing or it can be the push towards a one-party state that doesn't treat the old jews in Palestine as prisoners of war.... it comes down to intent... but so does any other policy issues from the chaos generating White House... will it be chaos in favor of the old or the new, if the latter, which side? the negative or the positive?