Czech Republic to begin process of moving its embassy to Jerusalem
European country to appoint honorary consul in Jerusalem in a three-step operation to make the move
The Czech Republic will appoint an honorary consul in Jerusalem, the first in a three-step process to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Czech President Milos Zeman made the announcement on Wednesday at an event in honor of Israel’s 70th birthday.
The Czech Foreign Ministry in a statement issued Wednesday confirmed the move.
“The Czech Republic has decided to open in May an honorary consulate in West Jerusalem, and before the end of the year a Czech (cultural) centre, also in West Jerusalem,” the statement said.
The third stage would be the moving of the embassy, for which no timetable was given.
“This step in no way prejudges the final agreement concerning Jerusalem,” the statement said. “The Czech Republic fully respects common policy of the European Union, which considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine.”
Moving the embassy to Jerusalem would require the approval of the Czech government.
Opened in the early 1990s, the Czech honorary consulate in Jerusalem was closed in 2016 due to the death of the honorary consul, the French news agency AFP reported.
The Czech Embassy has been in Tel Aviv since 1949, though it remained closed during the former communist regime in Prague between 1967 and 1990.
Zeman said in December that he supported the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital earlier that month and said Prague may follow suit, diverging with the position of his country’s Foreign Ministry.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
