Czech Republic cools on near-term move of Israel embassy to Jerusalem
PRAGUE, May 29 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem "at the right moment", Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday, cooling the likelihood of a near-term move that the government had signalled after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
The Czech Republic has been a strong ally of Israel on the international scene, at times breaking ranks with EU allies in United Nations votes on Middle East affairs.
After the October 2023 attack, Fiala said the embassy move to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv could come in a matter of months, but on Thursday he indicated the move was some way off.
"Let's make it clear: The Czech Republic will move the embassy, because it is right, the question is not if but when," Fiala told a hearing in the upper house of the Czech parliament.
He said the move should come at a time when Israel is not in a state of war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, and ideally when the Abraham Accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab nations, are widened to include more partners.
"Let's be a little patient, but at the same time ready to make this step as soon as the right moment arrives."
The Czech Republic opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem in 2021, a step that drew protests from the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League.
It would be the second NATO country to move its embassy to Jerusalem after the United States, which did so in 2018 under the first Trump administration. It would be the first European Union state to move its embassy.
Israel's government regards Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the country, although that is not recognised internationally.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem - which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally - as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Palestinians block and empty dozens of UN food lorries in Gaza Strip
The WFP said that 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the vehicles were able to reach their destination. A nearly three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza has pushed the population to the brink of famine. While the pressure slightly eased in recent days as Israel allowed some aid to enter, organisations said there still is not nearly enough food getting in. Hamas on Friday said it was reviewing a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire. President Donald Trump said that negotiators were nearing a deal. A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials. The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the food aid that is entering now. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,' said agency said in a statement. A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press that the UN convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and unloaded by thousands of desperate civilians. Most people carried bags of flour on their backs or heads. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets from the stranded trucks. The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by the Israeli military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active. An internal document shared with aid groups about security incidents, seen by the AP, said there were four incidents of facilities being looted in three days at the end of May, not including the convoy on Saturday. The UN said it been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its military campaign across Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours. It said three people were hit by Israeli gunfire early on Saturday morning in the southern city of Rafah. Three other people were killed – parents and a child – when their car was struck in Gaza City. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza but Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are 'doubts' about the fate of several others. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Palestinians block and empty dozens of UN food lorries in Gaza Strip
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blocked and emptied dozens of lorries, the UN World Food Programme said, as desperation mounts following Israel's months-long blockade and air strikes. The WFP said that 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the vehicles were able to reach their destination. Advertisement A nearly three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza has pushed the population to the brink of famine. While the pressure slightly eased in recent days as Israel allowed some aid to enter, organisations said there still is not nearly enough food getting in. Hamas on Friday said it was reviewing a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire. President Donald Trump said that negotiators were nearing a deal. A Palestinian girl waits to collect (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials. Advertisement The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the food aid that is entering now. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,' said agency said in a statement. A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press that the UN convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and unloaded by thousands of desperate civilians. Most people carried bags of flour on their backs or heads. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets from the stranded trucks. Advertisement The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by the Israeli military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active. An internal document shared with aid groups about security incidents, seen by the AP, said there were four incidents of facilities being looted in three days at the end of May, not including the convoy on Saturday. The UN said it been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its military campaign across Gaza. Advertisement Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli air strike (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours. It said three people were hit by Israeli gunfire early on Saturday morning in the southern city of Rafah. Three other people were killed – parents and a child – when their car was struck in Gaza City. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza but Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are 'doubts' about the fate of several others. Advertisement Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Palestinians block and empty dozens of UN food lorries in Gaza Strip
The WFP said that 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the vehicles were able to reach their destination. A nearly three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza has pushed the population to the brink of famine. While the pressure slightly eased in recent days as Israel allowed some aid to enter, organisations said there still is not nearly enough food getting in. Hamas on Friday said it was reviewing a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire. President Donald Trump said that negotiators were nearing a deal. A Palestinian girl waits to collect (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials. The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the food aid that is entering now. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,' said agency said in a statement. A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press that the UN convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and unloaded by thousands of desperate civilians. Most people carried bags of flour on their backs or heads. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets from the stranded trucks. The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by the Israeli military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active. An internal document shared with aid groups about security incidents, seen by the AP, said there were four incidents of facilities being looted in three days at the end of May, not including the convoy on Saturday. The UN said it been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its military campaign across Gaza. Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli air strike (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours. It said three people were hit by Israeli gunfire early on Saturday morning in the southern city of Rafah. Three other people were killed – parents and a child – when their car was struck in Gaza City. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza but Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are 'doubts' about the fate of several others. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
