Malawi Promises to Open Embassy in Jerusalem

The southeastern African nation of Malawi has announced that it plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third nation in recent years to make the move following decisions by the United States and Guatemala to transfer their embassies to Israel’s capital in 2018. Malawi Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka revealed the news during a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, who expressed his hope that “more African leaders will follow this decision.” Malawi’s decision marks the first time an African country will make such a move since seven countries closed their Jerusalem embassies following the 1973 war between Israel and its neighbors. In 2018, President Donald Trump transferred the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an action long promised by US administrations that was repeatedly postponed for fear of inciting unrest by Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority refuses to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and sees its eastern neighborhoods as the capital of a future state of Palestine.