Guatemala: Jerusalem embassy move ‘will not be reversed’

A woman walks across Israel square in Guatemala City on Dec. 27, 2017. Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales announced on Christmas eve that the Central American country would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. (AFP)

GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemala’s foreign minister insisted on Friday that President Jimmy Morales’ plan to move the country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem will not be reversed, and called for critics to “respect” the country’s decisions.
“It’s a decision that has been made... it is not going to be reversed,” Sandra Jovel told journalists during an event to commemorate the end of the Guatemalan civil war in 1996.
“The Guatemalan government is very respectful of the positions that other countries have taken, and as we are respectful of those decisions, we believe others should respect decisions made by Guatemala,” she added in response to critics including the Palestinians.
Last Sunday, Morales unexpectedly announced the transfer of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel on social media, in the wake of the UN General Assembly’s condemnation of a similar move by the US.
The announcement made Guatemala the first country to follow the US’ controversial lead on the holy city.
Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians consider East Jerusalem as the occupied capital of their future state.
Morales, defending his decision, said Israel is an “ally” and that Guatemala has “historically been pro-Israel.”