Honduras and Israel agree to Jerusalem embassy move

Israel and Honduras have agreed in principle that the Central American country will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández and the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed the issue in Brasilia where they attended the inauguration of Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro.

The three also discussed upgrading Israel’s consulate in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa to a full embassy.

The countries “agreed to pursue a plan of action, which includes meetings in their three respective capital cities”, a joint statement released by the US State Department said.

It added that the two countries would seek to “strengthen political relations and coordinate development cooperation in Honduras”.

Hernández tweeted: “The U.S., Israel and Honduras are uniting as strategic allies, committed to the development and security of their peoples. The alliance will bring great results and positively impact the Honduran people.”

Netanyahu on Tuesday ended a historic five-day trip to Brazil, the first for a sitting Israeli prime minister. Both Netanyahu and Bolsonaro described a future Brazilian embassy transfer from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as “a matter of when, not if”.

Last month, senior Honduran officials expressed their government’s willingness to move its embassy after meeting Israel’s Foreign Ministry Director-General Yuval Rotem.

Honduras also is interested in getting advice from Israeli experts on crime fighting, water management, agriculture and cyber issues.

Guatemala moved its embassy to Jerusalem just two days after the US opened its offices in May. Earlier this year, Paraguay also announced plans to move its embassy, but reversed the decision months later, angering the Israeli government, which shut its embassy in Asunción and recalled its ambassador.