Guatemalan Embassy Moves to Jerusalem, to Open After U.S. Moves Theirs
The official opening ceremony will take place on May 16, after the U.S. embassy moves to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv
Guatemala's embassy in Israel moved on Monday to its new location in Jerusalem at the Malkha Technology Park. The official ceremony celebrating the move will take place on May 16, after the U.S. relocates its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with the likely attendance of Guatemalean president Jimmy Morales.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the move and welcomed Guatemala to Jerusalem.
"I was moved to see the flag of Guatemala waving in Jerusalem in advance of the opening of the Guatemalan embassy later this month. Dear friends, welcome back to our eternal capital," Netanyahu said.
Political sources in Romania, the Czech Republic, Paraguay and Honduras were quoted in recent months as saying that their countries are also considering moving their embassies to Jerusalem, but such a move has yet to take place.
Jimmy Morales, president of Guatemala, first announced the move in a speech at the AIPAC policy conference in Washington this March, saying they would move their embassy two days after the U.S. moved theirs.
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"I'm sure many more countries will follow suit shortly," Morales said.
Netanyahu met with Morales during AIPAC, where he thanked the Guatemalan president for recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
Guatemala was one of seven states that voted with the U.S. in a UN vote to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, along with Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, and Togo.