Malawi will open an embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the first African country to establish a diplomatic mission in the Holy City, the Israeli and Malawian foreign ministers announced Tuesday (November 3rd).
“I would like to congratulate the government of Malawi for its important decision to be a pioneer and the first African country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem”, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said at a press conference in Jerusalem attended by his counterpart Eisenhower Mkaka.
“We reaffirmed our proximity and our common values of prosperity and peace”said Mkaka, who said he handed the Israeli authorities an official message from the President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, announcing the decision to open the embassy.
“I am sure that other African leaders will follow this decision”, added the head of Israeli diplomacy, about the opening of this embassy scheduled for the summer of 2021.
Thorny question
Malawi is one of the only African countries whose ties with Israel have been continuous since 1964, but does not have an embassy in Israel, the Israeli foreign minister said.
The United States moved its embassy in Israel from the metropolis of Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, which upset the Palestinians, the status of the Holy City being one of the thorniest issues for a settlement. of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Hebrew state seized the eastern portion of Jerusalem in 1967, annexed it, and now considers the entire city its capital “Eternal” and “Indivisible” while the Palestinians want to make East Jerusalem the capital of the state they aspire to.
The UN considers for its part that the status of Jerusalem must be the subject of an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, and that in the meantime the capitals should not establish their diplomatic representation in Israel in Jerusalem.
