Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala is considering moving the Czech embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, similar to the US’s 2018 move. The move is controversial as Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and Palestine, home to many sacred sites for Jews and Muslims.
The Israeli prime minister’s home and parliament are in West Jerusalem, while Palestine wants to divide the city and make East Jerusalem its capital officially. Czech Diplomacy currently has an office in Jerusalem, while the embassy is based in Tel Aviv. Fiala has been a proponent of relocating the Czech embassy to Jerusalem for a long time and plans to discuss the specific course of action with his coalition partners.
Czech President Petr Pavel has expressed his opposition to the relocation of the Czech embassy to Jerusalem, stating that the move would violate international law, contradict the EU line, and pose a security risk. He believes that the foreign minister’s decision is key to the move, and the prime minister’s idea could fail.
Czech President Petr Pavel also argued that the debate about moving the embassy is inappropriate in a situation where Israel is in a state of war and that it is Maintaining unity in support of Israel is crucial in Czech politics, the European Union, and other international platforms.
