At least 10 countries discussing embassy move to Jerusalem, says deputy foreign minister

At least 10 countries besides the US and Guatemala are considering recognizing Jerusalem as the Israel capital and possibly moving their embassies there, Deputy Minister Hotovely says.

By: Andrew Friedman/TPS and World Israel News Staff

Since Guatemala’s announcement Monday that it will follow the US and move its embassy to Jerusalem, at least 10 more countries are in talks with the Israelis about doing the same, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told Israel Radio.

She declined to say which countries were involved, but “noted that several of the talks are just beginning, while others are further along,” Ha’aretz reported.

Israeli diplomats estimate that Honduras, which borders Guatemala, is likely to be one of the next countries to follow suit.

‘No less than the beginning of Israel’s victory’

Guatemala’s decision to return its embassy to Jerusalem is “no less than the beginning of Israel’s victory,” a leading  analyst and author told Tazpit Press Service (TPS) Monday, adding that it will likely set off a chain reaction, with countries in Latin America, Africa and even in Europe following suit in the coming months and years.

“I believe many countries will follow, and not only Latin American ones,” said Dr. Gustavo D. Perednik, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina and a well-known Spanish-language commentator on Latin American and Israeli affairs. “A few candidates: Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Togo, Rwanda, Uganda, Canada, and then when one or two Western European countries will dare – dozens will follow.”

Asked whether the move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel had more than symbolic value – Perednik said the US President Donald Trump’s decision, and Guatemala’s move to get on board was evidence that a major shift in international politics is at hand, particularly in Latin America.

“Symbolic? Absolutely not. Having foreign embassies in Jerusalem means recognition of Israel as the embodiment of Jewish history and serves to counterbalance the clepto-history perpetrated by the Palestinians over the past decades.

“It is just unbelievable that some Jewish organizations had reservations on this historic move,” Perednik told TPS in an email exchange.

Outcome of Netanyahu’s visit to Latin America

Notably, the move follows a landmark nine-day visit by Prime Minister Netanyahu to Latin America in September, making him the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit the continent, and growing indications that the Spanish-speaking world would like to expand economic ties with Israel.

To be sure, there is room to expand: According to the economy ministry, Israel maintained a $739 million trade surplus vis-à-vis Latin America in 2015, the last year for which figures are available. Imports from the region to Israel stood at $754 million, or just 1.2 percent of Israel’s total imports. In the other direction, Israel exported $1.493 billion in goods to South and Central America, representing 2.3 percent of the country’s exports.

On the political stage too, current trends around Latin America appear to be developing in ways that would be positive for Israel, most importantly vis-à-vis Iran’s attempt to infiltrate the region. In September, ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, Gustavo Perednik said the Islamic Republic had spent considerable effort in recent decades to expand economic ties and to build terrorist infrastructure in South America, most notably with Venezuela but in other countries as well.

Iran in ‘retreat’ in South America

But he said that in recent years, Tehran has been in retreat around South America, a fact underscored by former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner’s defeat and arrest warrant, by Netanyahu’s successful tour and by Guatemala’s move on Jerusalem. Perednik has visited Guatemala on numerous occasions, and lectured at the country’s main universities and military academy.

“For years, Iran was on the ascendancy in South America,” Perednik said at the time.“But it isn’t true today. To the contrary: We see that Iran is in retreat overall, although its nuclear capabilities are still an existential threat for us. That is why the Iranian threat is a top priority both for Israel and the USA,” said Perednik.

Embassy moveGuatemalaLatin AmericaTrump Jerusalem