Czech prime minister: Embassy will move to Jerusalem – 'not if, but when'

The Czech Republic announced on Thursday that it will move their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem at “the right moment,” according to a statement from Prime Minister Petr Fiala during a parliamentary hearing in the upper house.  

“Let’s make it clear,” Fiala continued, “the Czech Republic will move the embassy, because it is right, the question is not if but when.”

The prime minister added that the move should happen when Israel is not in a state of war with Hamas in Gaza, and preferably when the Abraham Accords agreements are expanded to include more partners.

“Let’s be a little patient, but at the same time ready to make this step as soon as the right moment arrives.”

Just three days after the brutal Oct. 7 terror attack by the Hamas terrorist organization in southern Israel, the Czech Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the government to move the embassy to Jerusalem. Consistent with European Union (EU) foreign policy, however, the government never made the move and is not expected to take action on the issue until after the October parliamentary elections.

On Wednesday, a group of Czech legislators in the parliament marked Jerusalem Day (the national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem) for the fifth year in a row, demonstrating steadfast support for Israel amid ongoing criticism from other EU nations.

“Ours is a history of friendship forged in struggle and deepened in shared values,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told the legislators.

“The bond has only grown stronger in the darkest of times – most recently following the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023. Since that day, the Czech Republic has stood by Israel in every critical arena throughout the war in international legal forums and on every diplomatic stage.”

Haskel emphasized the strong historical connection between the two small countries, beginning with Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, when Czechoslovakia became the chief supplier of arms to the newly established state.

“Your steadfast support is not forgotten,” she stated. “It will be remembered by generations of Israelis, just as my generations remember the solidarity of 1948.”

The Czech Republic opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem in 2021, a move that elicited protests and opposition from the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League.

The Czech Republic would be the second NATO country to move its embassy to Jerusalem after the United States made the move in 2018 under the last Trump administration.

Hungary and Argentina have also expressed a desire to move their embassies to Jerusalem as early as next year.

“I will try to do it so that the Czech Republic is first,” said Miloslav Janulík, chairman of the Israel Allies Caucus in the Chamber of Deputies, a partner during the parliamentary event.

“Europe is increasingly divided between those who stand with the only free democracy in the Middle East and those who are willing to capitulate to Islamic terror,” said Josh Reinstein, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) – a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization that operates a network of pro-Israel parliamentary caucuses across the globe.

Reinstein is also the director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus.

“Faith-based diplomacy is turning the tide, as those who believe in the Bible understand that their nations will be judged by how they treat Israel,” he added.

The Czech Senate is scheduled to hold a public hearing about the embassy move on Thursday. The opposition is being led by the chair of the foreign affairs committee.

Jerusalem is recognized by Israel’s government as the eternal and indivisible capital of the country. However, Palestinians want East Jerusalem – which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed – as the capital of a future Palestinian state.