El Salvador moves embassy in Israel

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Written by oren

El Salvador will move its embassy in Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, saying Friday it had made the decision following a U.N. cease-fire resolution on the conflict in Lebanon that sought to promote greater security in the Middle East.

The decision comes a week after fellow Central American nation Costa Rica - the only other country that had an embassy in Jerusalem - announced it was moving its diplomatic mission to Tel Aviv, which is used by other countries because of Jerusalem's disputed status.

El Salvador's foreign ministry said in a statement the decision was made after analyzing, with Israel, "the current situation in the Middle East," and after resolution 1701 of the U.N. Security Council, "whose mandate is to seek the promotion of security and greater stability, generating a new stage of favorable expectations for the Middle East."

Security Council resolution 1701, passed earlier this month, called for the cease-fire that ended 34 days of fierce fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. At least 809 Lebanese and 157 Israelis were killed.

The foreign ministry statement said El Salvador "recognizes and guarantees the right of the state of Israel to live in peace within secure and internationally recognized borders."

It also said that "equally, the government of El Salvador repeats its recognition of the right of a Palestinian state to exist."

It was not immediately clear when the move would take place.

On Aug. 16, a few days after the cease-fire in Lebanon took hold, Costa Rica announced it was moving its embassy, saying the measure was needed to bring the Central American nation in line with international law and mend relations with Arab nations. El Salvador said at the time that it would keep its embassy in Jerusalem for the time being.

Israel has criticized Costa Rica's decision, saying it could be interpreted as a "surrender to terror," but there was no immediate reaction to El Salvador's announcement.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed it to the city it considers its capital, a decision not recognized internationally. Palestinians want east Jerusalem, including the walled Old City, as the capital of a future state.

Costa Rica moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 1982, leading the nations of the Arab League to break off relations with Costa Rica. El Salvador established its embassy in Jerusalem in 1984.

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