”It was a long overdue commitment to support our allies,” said Moldova’s Prime Minister Pavel Filip.
The government of Moldova has decided to relocate the country’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“Today we adopted the decision to relocate the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It was a long overdue commitment to support our allies,” said Moldova’s Prime Minister Pavel Filip.
The Cabinet of Minister approved the sale of the plot of land for its construction.
“We are in a situation in which we have to approve these decisions in an urgent manner, given the political instability and uncertainty in the country, as one of the political parties has been always blocking these two important decisions while trying to take over the power illegally,” said Filip in a statement.
The World Jewish Congress welcomed Moldova’s decision and thanked the country’s leadership for its continued support of the State of Israel.
“The government of Moldova has taken a welcome step today in affirming its faith in the State of Israel and demonstrating their strong bilateral relations in publicly recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s rightful capital,” said WJC CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer.
He adeed : “I hope this will set a positive example for all of Israel’s friends considering such a move. It is also a positive gesture to the many Jews of Moldovan descent who now live in Israel, and who continue to feel an attachment to the country that once was their home, as it was for many members of my own family. These are relations that extend beyond just governments, and into the public and personal realm.”
“Moldova has proven time and again in recent years to be a true friend of the State of Israel, as well as a leader in the fight against antisemitism worldwide. Its decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem follows other important steps of good faith, including its prioritization of protecting its Jewish community, as demonstrated by its recent adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, and its efforts to preserve Holocaust memory,” Singer said.
Euro-Asian Jewish Cogress (EAJC) President Michael Mirilashvili also thanked Moldova’s leadership saying, “We are talking of an historic decision that is going to take the bilateral relationship to a whole new level. Israelis and Jews all over the world alike will always remember Moldova as one of the first countries to move its embassy to Jerusalem. This step is a logical continuation of the Moldovan government policy of strengthening ties with the Jewish community and fighting against anti-Semitism. We congratulate the peoples of the two countries on this milestone and are happy to further promote friendly relations between Israel and Moldova.”
The United States recognized Jerusalem as Israeli capital in December 2017 and in May of 2018 moved there its embassy from Tel Aviv. Later, Guatemala also moved its embassy to Jerusalem. In September 2018 the Czech government announced its decision to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and in December Australia recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Russia recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.