The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said Thursday it would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, joining a small group of countries that have taken the controversial step of recognising the city as Israel’s capital.
The announcement followed a visit by DRC President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi to Israel. In a joint statement, the two countries said they would begin steps for “the relocation of the embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem”, though no timeline was provided.
During his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tshisekedi and Netanyahu reaffirmed their “shared commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations”, according to the statement.
Tshisekedi has expressed strong support for Israel for years, citing his Christian faith as a key reason. He has also sought closer backing from the United States, which has stepped up pressure on Rwanda over the advance of armed rebels in eastern DRC.
The embassy announcement comes weeks after Colombia’s newly elected hard-right President Abelardo de la Espriella said his country would also move its embassy to Jerusalem. The decision marked a major policy shift from his left-wing predecessor, who had sharply criticised Israel over its military campaign in Gaza.
Most countries that recognise Israel continue to maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. Their position is based on the longstanding view that Jerusalem’s final status should be determined through an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.
The United States broke with that position in 2018, when then-President Donald Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his first term. The city is home to Israel’s parliament, the prime minister’s office and many other government institutions.
Since the US move, only a limited number of mostly small, US-aligned countries have relocated their embassies to Jerusalem. They include Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay.
Kosovo and Somaliland, neither of which is a UN member state, have also established diplomatic missions in Jerusalem that they regard as embassies.
Argentine President Javier Milei, another outspoken supporter of Israel, has also pledged to relocate his country’s embassy to Jerusalem. The move, however, has yet to happen, reportedly amid a dispute involving an Israeli company’s plans to conduct drilling operations in the British-administered Falkland Islands, which Argentina claims and refers to as the Malvinas.
Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it. Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and undivided capital, while the city’s status remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Comments are closed.