Pressured by Israel, Czechs Consider Moving Embassy to Jerusalem - Reports
Israel has been pressuring the Czech Republic to follow the United States’ suit to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel’s Channel 10 reported.
According to the broadcaster, citing a classified cable by Israel’s Ambassador to Prague Daniel Meron, the US and Guatemala’s decisions to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem have paved the way for the Czech Republic to follow in their steps.
Prague “has begun a quiet internal staff evaluation to examine the possibilities and risks regarding the transfer of its embassy,” the cable reported.
Channel 10 also suggested that the final decision would be made by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.
Czech President Milos Zeman has repeatedly praised his American counterpart Donald Trump’s move, saying his country could follow suit.
“It makes me truly happy because, as I said during my visit to Israel four years ago, I would appreciate the transfer of the Czech embassy to Jerusalem, and had it happened, we would have been the first to do so. Now we may sooner or later follow the United States. In any case, it is still better than nothing,” said Milos Zeman.
The Statement of the President of the Czech Republic which he has made for TV Barrandov on the decision of the U.S. President Donald Trump on the issue of Jerusalem, 7th December 2017: pic.twitter.com/8BtqyCnVmc
— Ji?í Ov?á?ek (@PREZIDENTmluvci) December 7, 2017
In December 2017, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and instructed the US State Department to launch the process of relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The move was met with widespread indignation throughout the Arab world, sparking unrest across the Middle East, with thousands of people taking to the streets to protests the decision. In response to the recognition, Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas announced the beginning of a third “intifada” against Israel.
Trump’s decision has been strongly condemned by world leaders, arguing that Jerusalem’s status should be determined through negotiations between Israel and Palestinians.
- Source : Sputnik
