Russia is set to establish a branch office of its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, further complicating the disputed status of the city. The announcement, made on Friday by the Russian Embassy and an Israeli Foreign Ministry official, comes as part of an agreement with the city of Jerusalem.
Russia finalized a deal on May 18 to develop a complex of buildings on a plot of land in west Jerusalem originally purchased in 1885. This new compound is slated to serve the consular section of the embassy.
Jerusalem’s status, considered sacred by Christians, Jews, and Muslims, is one of the primary roadblocks in achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Although the international community does not universally recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, several foreign embassies, including the US Embassy, have opened in Jerusalem since 2017. Palestinians contend that the shift in policy contravenes international law and diminishes the prospects for an independent Palestinian state.
Despite initial concern voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin following the US move in 2017, the Russian Embassy asserted that the decision “goes in line with our country’s unchanging course toward a fair Middle East settlement.”