Earlier on Monday, Paraguay held an opening ceremony for its embassy in Jerusalem, which was attended by the country’s President Horacio Cartes and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Paraguay, thereby, became the third country to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the holy city, following the example of the United States and Guatemala.
READ MORE: Paraguay Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Following US Example (PHOTO, VIDEO)
According to the IRNA news agency, the IOC stressed that the move went against international law.
A great day for Israel, a great day for Paraguay & a great day for our friendship. Today we opened the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital. Thank you to my friend, President Horacio Cartes, for your great friendship that comes from the depth of your heart. 🇮🇱🇵🇾 pic.twitter.com/iByBuyI2Ub
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 21, 2018
Palestine has already harshly decried the move as a breach of international law and an act of aggression against Palestine, which also claims Jerusalem as its capital.
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Back in December, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and instructed the US State Department to launch the process of moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The step has prompted criticism from a number of states, especially Palestine and those in the Middle East, and triggered a wave of violent protests in the region.
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The United States officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem on May 14. Two days later, Guatemala followed the suit.
Third embassy moving to #Jerusalem tomorrow:
— Noa Landau (@noa_landau) May 20, 2018
Paraguay’s President Horacio Cartes just landed in Israel for the ceremony 🇵🇾 pic.twitter.com/Klx9n6Ut22
The OIC is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, uniting 57 member states with a total population of over 1.5 billion spread over four continents. The organization seeks to protect the interests of the Muslim world and strengthen cooperation among its member states.