Equatorial Guinea will move its embassy to Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced after speaking by phone with its president, Teodoro Mbasogo, on Friday.
Netanyahu stressed Israel’s deepening cooperation with African nations and said that “Israel is returning to Africa and Africa is returning to Israel in a big way.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today by telephone with Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Mbasogo, who informed him that he would transfer Equatorial Guinea's embassy to Jerusalem. 🇮🇱🤝🇬🇶
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 19, 2021
PM Netanyahu noted that Israel is continuing to deepen its cooperation with African countries – Israel is returning to Africa and Africa is returning to Israel in a big way. Equatorial Guinea President Mbasogo responded that all of Africa is welcoming Israel with open arms.
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 19, 2021
Mbasogo, whose human rights record has been assailed by international organizations, with Human Rights Watch decrying the “corruption, poverty, and repression of civil and political rights” in the country, also said that all of Africa is welcoming ‘Israel’ with open arms.
In 2018, outgoing President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to ‘Israel’ from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017.
At that time, Biden called Trump’s decision to move the embassy as “short-sighted and frivolous.”
However, The United States Senate earlier this month voted 97-3 to keep the US Embassy permanently in Jerusalem.
Also, Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, said at his Senate confirmation hearing that Biden will keep the US embassy in Jerusalem, but he will seek a state for the Palestinians.
Aslo, several countries in different parts of the world have stated their intention to open embassies in Jerusalem, including Malawi, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Serbia.
The US and Guatemala have opened embassies in Jerusalem, and Kosovo has lately become the third country to do so.