Malawi To Open Embassy in Jerusalem

Malawi will open an embassy in Jerusalem, according to Malawi Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka. During his visit to Israel on Tuesday, Mkaka brought a message from the country’s president, Lazarus Chakwera, that the embassy would open in mid-2021. Chakwera had announced in September that the country would situate its embassy in Jerusalem. Though the sub-Saharan African country has maintained full diplomatic relations with Israel since 1964, it does not currently have an embassy in Israel. Mkaka called his government’s decision a “bold and significant step.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said, “I look forward to your embassy opening soon and I’m sure that more African leaders will follow the decision.” Malawi was one of the new African nations that did not bow to Arab economic pressure to break off relations with Israel after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.