More Embassies Moving to Jerusalem Following U.S. Lead
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, is encouraging other nations to follow the U.S. example by moving their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay already have moved their embassies, while others reportedly are in the planning stage.
“My fellow ambassadors from the countries that have done what we hope every country will do, and that is, recognize that Jerusalem is the undisputed, it is the undivided, capital of the Jewish state of Israel,” he said at a recent event for countries with Jerusalem embassies.
Chaim Silberstein, who chairs the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy, started the group to identify challenges and seek opportunities for the capital city. He told CBN News about other nations considering a move.
“Argentina, Czech, Fiji, and other countries, too,” he said. “And we are working very hard together with the government as a non-governmental organization to persuade them and to encourage them. And I think the more embassies that move to Jerusalem, the better it is for Israel, the better it is for the West.”
Silberstein takes global policymakers through the city, explaining why Jerusalem matters.
“The best way to understand the situation is to visualize it, to see it, to feel it,” he said. “God has given us Jerusalem. And Jerusalem is, always will be and always has been the capital of Israel. But the fact that countries come and recognize it as part of the real politics of the world is so important for us.”
He believes building and maintaining support has become more urgent since the terror attack of Oct. 7, 2023.
“The state of Israel has worked and is working very hard to harness all those countries that support Israel, because unfortunately, there are many that have fallen to the fake news and the false propaganda of what’s going on in the war,” he said. “But we do have friends, and we do have allies, and certainly at the head of that team is the United States of America.”
Israeli officials have echoed this message, emphasizing Jerusalem’s unique status. “Jerusalem is the capital of one state, the State of Israel – period,” said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in remarks underscoring the government’s stance. Other leaders have reiterated that “Jerusalem is the eternal and united capital of Israel, and nothing will change that,” reflecting the view that international recognition by embassy moves solidifies Israel’s position.
The transfer of embassies is also seen as more than symbolic. As noted by JNS.org, “The same could be said of the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem and the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights,” a move widely regarded in Israel as a sign of unwavering support from its allies.
–Dwight Widaman
