The South Pacific nation of Nauru opened its embassy to Israel in occupied Jerusalem on Monday, making it the ninth country to take the step in violation of international resolutions, Anadolu reports.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar took part today in the official opening of Nauru’s Embassy in occupied Jerusalem, together with Vice President and Foreign Minister Lionel Aingimea, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Today, Nauru becomes the ninth country, and the third from the South Pacific, to open an embassy in Jerusalem. More are on the way,” Sa’ar said at the opening ceremony.
The island nation is the world’s third-smallest country, with an area of 21 square kilometers (8.1 square miles) and a population of around 12,000.
Aingimea said: “We see the opening of our embassy here in Jerusalem not only as strengthening our relations with Israel, but also as a message to the whole world about our position.”
Jerusalem currently hosts embassies of the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Somalia’s so-called breakaway Somaliland region, which is not internationally recognized.
The vast majority of countries oppose opening embassies in occupied Jerusalem.
Israel has been intensifying efforts to repair its foreign relations amid global popular and official anger over its US-backed genocide in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 8, 2023.
In 2017, US President Donald Trump, during his first term, recognized Jerusalem, both its eastern and western parts, as Israel’s claimed capital, the occupying power, and decided to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Palestinians insist on East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, based on international legitimacy resolutions that do not recognize Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1980.
Israel was established in 1948 on lands occupied by armed Zionist gangs that carried out massacres and displaced at least 750,000 Palestinians. It continues to reject withdrawal and the establishment of a Palestinian state as stipulated in UN resolutions.
