Indonesia Condems Guatemala's Decision to Move Embassy to Jerusalem

Jakarta, (Antara) - The Indonesian Government has condemned Guatemala's plan to move its embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, backing US President Donald Trump's move to recognize the holy city as Israel's capital.

"Indonesia condemns Guatemala's decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem," Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

The Central American country's decision was not in accordance with international law regarding the status of Jerusalem, it stated.

"Maintaining international resolution on the status quo of Jerusalem is important to accomplish the two-state solution in Palestine-Israel conflict," the ministry noted.

According to Reuters report, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales remarked on Sunday that he had given instructions to move the Central American country's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a few days after his government backed the United States in a row over the city's status.

In a short post on his official Facebook account, Morales noted that he decided to move the embassy from Tel Aviv after talking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing decades of US policy and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as their capital.

The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religions.

On Thursday, 128 countries defied Trump by backing a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem.

Guatemala and neighboring Honduras were two of only a handful of countries to join the United States and Israel in voting against the resolution on Jerusalem.

The United States is an important source of assistance to Guatemala and Honduras, and Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported the UN resolution.(*)