Guatemala will transfer its embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, two days after the US embassy was moved, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said.
"On my instructions and two days after the United States transfers its embassy, Guatemala will permanently transfer its embassy to Jerusalem," Morales said Sunday from Washington during the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest lobby of the Jewish state in the United States.
"I want to thank President (Donald) Trump for guiding us on the road," he said. "This resolution demonstrates Guatemala's continued support and solidarity for the Israeli people." I am sure that a large number of countries will take our course.
On December 25, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced that his country would transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, making Guatemala the first country in the world to follow suit.
On December 6, Trump announced the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US embassy to it. The new US embassy is expected to open on May 14, on Israel's 70th anniversary.
Some 128 of the 193 UN members voted to maintain international consensus on Jerusalem, which says the city's status can only be determined through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, including US allies such as France and Britain. Seven small countries, including Guatemala and Honduras, have declared their support for the United States and Israel.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon welcomed Morales' announcement. "The decision to move your embassy soon to Jerusalem is bold and visionary," he wrote in a tweet on his Twitter account. "We are delighted to receive you in our eternal and cherished capital."
Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and declared it its eternal and unified capital in 1980, a move not recognized by the international community and included the United States. The Palestinians want to make East Jerusalem the capital of their desired state.
