Honduras and Paraguay ‘ready in principle’ to move embassies to Jerusalem
Two Latin American states may follow the USA's controversial move to recognise the holy city as Israel's capital
Two more Latin American nations may soon relocate their embassies to Jerusalem, Army Radio reported, citing a “senior Israeli diplomatic source.”
Honduras and Paraguay said they are both ready “in principle” to proceed with the move on the condition that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes an official visit to each of their countries.
These comments followed Guatemala’s announcement that it would make the move after the United States’ December 6 decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem later this year.
Last week, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced during the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C. that his country’s embassy would move to Jerusalem on May 16, two days after the United States moves its own.
In December, about two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said that he has instructed the State Department to begin planning the embassy move, Morales stated that he would do the same.
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to condemn the U.S. decision with a total of 128 of the UN’s 193 members voting in favour of the resolution. Honduras was one of eight countries to have voted with the U.S. against the motion, as well as Guatemala, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo. Although Paraguay has expressed pro-Israeli sentiment on a number of occasions, it abstained from the UN vote.
In September, Netanyahu made the very first visit to Latin America by a sitting Israeli prime minister, but he did not stop in Paraguay or Honduras. In Argentina, he met Paraguay’s former president, Horacio Cartes, who in 2016 had been the first Paraguayan head of state to visit Israel.
Paraguay has distinguished itself among South American countries by supporting Israel in the United Nations and other international forums.
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