403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
Nauru Becomes 9th Nation to Open Jerusalem Embassy
(MENAFN) Nauru, the tiny South Pacific island state, inaugurated its embassy to Israel in occupied Jerusalem on Monday, becoming the ninth country to relocate its diplomatic mission there in defiance of international resolutions.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attended the ceremony alongside Nauruan Vice President and Foreign Minister Lionel Aingimea, according to a statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry.
"Today, Nauru becomes the ninth country, and the third from the South Pacific, to open an embassy in Jerusalem. More are on the way," Sa'ar told those gathered at the opening.
Nauru ranks as the world's third-smallest country, spanning just 21 square kilometers (8.1 square miles) and home to roughly 12,000 people.
Aingimea framed the move as both a diplomatic and symbolic gesture. "We see the opening of our embassy here in Jerusalem not only as strengthening our relations with Israel, but also as a message to the whole world about our position," he said.
With Nauru's addition, Jerusalem now hosts embassies representing the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Somalia's Somaliland region — a territory that lacks international recognition as an independent state. The overwhelming majority of the world's nations continue to withhold their embassies from the city, in line with United Nations resolutions that do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The embassy opening comes as Israel works to shore up its diplomatic standing internationally, a period marked by widespread public and governmental criticism — including allegations of genocide, which Israel denies — over its military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, which has been backed by the United States.
The push to relocate embassies to Jerusalem traces back to 2017, when then-President Donald Trump, during his first term in office, formally recognized both the eastern and western sections of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered the US Embassy moved from Tel Aviv.
Palestinians, for their part, maintain that East Jerusalem must serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state, pointing to international resolutions that reject Israel's 1967 occupation of the city and its subsequent 1980 annexation as illegitimate.
Israel's founding in 1948 followed the displacement of at least 750,000 Palestinians from land seized by Zionist militias, a historical episode Palestinians and many historians describe as involving mass atrocities. Israel has continued to reject calls — including UN resolutions — for withdrawal from occupied territory and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attended the ceremony alongside Nauruan Vice President and Foreign Minister Lionel Aingimea, according to a statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry.
"Today, Nauru becomes the ninth country, and the third from the South Pacific, to open an embassy in Jerusalem. More are on the way," Sa'ar told those gathered at the opening.
Nauru ranks as the world's third-smallest country, spanning just 21 square kilometers (8.1 square miles) and home to roughly 12,000 people.
Aingimea framed the move as both a diplomatic and symbolic gesture. "We see the opening of our embassy here in Jerusalem not only as strengthening our relations with Israel, but also as a message to the whole world about our position," he said.
With Nauru's addition, Jerusalem now hosts embassies representing the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Somalia's Somaliland region — a territory that lacks international recognition as an independent state. The overwhelming majority of the world's nations continue to withhold their embassies from the city, in line with United Nations resolutions that do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The embassy opening comes as Israel works to shore up its diplomatic standing internationally, a period marked by widespread public and governmental criticism — including allegations of genocide, which Israel denies — over its military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, which has been backed by the United States.
The push to relocate embassies to Jerusalem traces back to 2017, when then-President Donald Trump, during his first term in office, formally recognized both the eastern and western sections of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered the US Embassy moved from Tel Aviv.
Palestinians, for their part, maintain that East Jerusalem must serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state, pointing to international resolutions that reject Israel's 1967 occupation of the city and its subsequent 1980 annexation as illegitimate.
Israel's founding in 1948 followed the displacement of at least 750,000 Palestinians from land seized by Zionist militias, a historical episode Palestinians and many historians describe as involving mass atrocities. Israel has continued to reject calls — including UN resolutions — for withdrawal from occupied territory and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment