Netanyahu ready to offer his house in Jerusalem to host Czech embassy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered Czech President Meles Ziman his own house to serve as the Czech embassy, Israeli Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said that during a meeting between both officials, Meles suggested moving the embassy of his country from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem. Netanyahu responded: “I am ready to offer my personal house to be the headquarters of the embassy.”

Meles also told Netanyahu that he had suggested moving the embassy to Jerusalem several years ago. But, he continued, Ehud Olmert, who was the prime minister at the time, refused saying there were no empty places for an embassy in Jerusalem.

According to Maariv, Israeli politicians believe that Olmert did not want to spoil the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli talks. The newspaper also reports that Israeli sources have ruled out the Czech president moving the embassy to Jerusalem because of the complicated political situation in Prague.

Czech is considered one of Israel’s greatest friends on the European continent.