Israel 'in talks with 10 countries' about Jerusalem embassy move

Israel says 'at least 10 countries' were considering a transfer of its embassies to Jerusalem.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on January 11, 2017. / AFP / MENAHEM KAHANA        (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)

FILE: Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Tzipi Hotovely, wants transfer of embassies to Jerusalem. Source: Getty Images

Israel is in touch with "at least 10 countries" over the possible transfer of its embassies to Jerusalem after the United States recognised the city as Israel's capital, a deputy minister said Monday.

"We are in contact with at least 10 countries, some of them in Europe" to discuss the move, deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely told public radio.

She spoke a day after Guatemala said it would move its embassy to the city, a move slammed by Palestinian officials as "shameful".

Ms Hotovely said US president Donald Trump's statement would "trigger a wave" of such moves. 

"So far we have only seen the beginning," she said.

Ms Hotovely did not name the countries in question, but public radio cited Israeli diplomatic sources as saying Honduras, the Philippines, Romania and South Sudan are among states considering such a move.

Two-thirds of United Nations member states on Thursday voted for a resolution rejecting Mr Trump's controversial move, reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations.

Israel seized the eastern part of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community.

Several mainly Latin American countries had diplomatic missions in Jerusalem until a 1980 UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel's attempt to alter the "character and status" of the city, saying it was a barrier to peace.

Mr Trump's announcement on December 6 sparked anger in the Palestinian territories and across the Muslim world.

Israelis see the whole of the city as their undivided capital while the Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.

No country currently has its embassy in Jerusalem, instead keeping them in the Israeli commercial capital Tel Aviv.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP, SBS

Tags

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Israel 'in talks with 10 countries' about Jerusalem embassy move | SBS News