Guatemala opened its new embassy to Israel in occupied Jerusalem on Monday ahead of its official inauguration later this month, Haaretz reported yesterday.
The embassy was moved to the Israeli Malha Technology Park and the Guatemalan flag was raised there. The official opening ceremony will take place two days after the US embassy is inaugurated in the city on 14 May.
“I was moved to see the flag of Guatemala waving in Jerusalem in advance of the opening of the Guatemalan embassy later this month,” Haaretz reported Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu saying. “Dear friends, welcome back to our eternal capital.”
After announcing his country’s move to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem in March, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference: “I would like to thank [US] President Trump for leading the way. His courageous decision has encouraged us to do what is right.”
In December last year Trump announced his administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city. The decision was met with near unanimous condemnation from the international community, with the UN General Assembly voting to reject the decision.
Haaretz reported political sources in Romania, the Czech Republic, Paraguay and Honduras saying their countries were also considering moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Prague has however since withdrawn its decision.
Read: Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner to attend opening of US embassy in Jerusalem