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Of: TT
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Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP / TT
Honduras hopes to open its new embassy in Jerusalem before the turn of the year. Stock Photography.
Honduras hopes to move its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem before the end of the year. That message comes from both Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We hope to take this historic step before the turn of the year, as long as the pandemic allows it,” President Hernández wrote on Twitter.
It therefore appears that Honduras will become the second country, after Guatemala, to follow the highly controversial decision of the United States just over two years ago to move its embassy to Jerusalem.
The country’s intention to relocate the embassy has been known for some time. The news that the inauguration will soon begin comes just under a week after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed an agreement to normalize relations with Israel. Traditionally, Arab states in the Middle East have refused to recognize Israel before finding a solution to the protracted conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
The status of Jerusalem has been one of the most difficult issues in the conflict. The embassy moves, as well as the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, have drawn condemnation from much of the world. Among others, the EU has reiterated that it believes that the status of Jerusalem will be decided in future peace negotiations.
Paraguay initially also decided to move its embassy to Jerusalem, but after a few months withdrew the decision and reopened its embassy in Tel Aviv in September 2018.
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