Paraguay Moves Its Embassy in Israel Back to Tel Aviv, Palestinians Welcome Step, Israel Upset

Ramallah, MINA — The Palestinian presidency welcomed on Wednesday the decision by Paraguay to return its embassy in Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, describing it as courageous, WAFA reported.

Paraguay said on Wednesday that it has decided to rescind its decision of May 21 to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and return the embassy to Tel Aviv, a step that has upset Israel, which according to Israeli reports, has decided in a retaliatory move to close its embassy in Paraguay.

The presidency said in a statement that “this decision was in line with international resolutions and was the result of the wise and vigorous Palestinian diplomatic efforts to explain the dangers of the transfer of embassies to Jerusalem on the peace process in the Middle East and the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

It stressed as well that “this courageous move by the Paraguayan government is an example for all countries in facing Israeli greed and attempts by the American administration to impose it on the world when it moved its embassy to Jerusalem in the so-called deal of the century.”

The presidency praised all the countries that rejected the US move and considered it as a threat to the entire peace process in the region.

It paid tribute to the president, government and people of Paraguay “for this noble and wise position.”

Foreign Minister Riyad Malki travelled to Paraguay two weeks ago to attend the inauguration of its new president and to demand that Paraguay return its embassy in Israel to Tel Aviv.

Malki asked the new Paraguayan president to take the embassy back to Tel Aviv and after meeting his Paraguayan counterpart, the two foreign ministers agreed to keep the matter under wraps until Paraguay officially announces its decision early in September.

In return, Malki committed to not going to the International Court of Justice to challenge moving the embassy to Jerusalem, as it is doing with the United States and Guatemala, the only remaining countries that have moved their embassies to Jerusalem in May.

Malki expressed gratitude to the president and foreign minister of Paraguay for their commitment to international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly the resolution of 1980 that bans countries from recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or moving their embassies to the city.

Malki said that Palestine is going to open an embassy in Paraguay, as he promised he would. He also urged other countries to open embassies in Paraguay in a show of solidarity with that Central South American country. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)