South Sudan vows to establish embassy in Jerusalem and not Tel Aviv: report
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August 29, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – The president of the newly established
state of South Sudan told a visiting Israeli delegation that their
future embassy in the Jewish state will be built in the disputed city
of Jerusalem rather than in the political capital of Tel Aviv,
according to a newspaper report.
JPEG - 18.8 kb
South Sudan president Salva Kiir (R) and Israeli MP Danny Danon (JP)
Danny Danon, Israeli member of Likud Party and Parliament member, is
currently on a visit to South Sudan capital of Juba where he met with
president Salva Kiir.
The ‘Jerusalem Post’ newspaper quoted Kiir as telling the visiting
delegation that his country resisted Arab and Palestinian pressure on
relations with Israel.
“I told them that I see Israeli embassies in Jordan and Egypt, and
South Sudan is not an Arab state,” Kiir reportedly told Danon.
South Sudan became an independent state last month after its citizens
voted overwhelmingly in favor of separation from the Arab-Muslim
dominated north.
Many Sudanese and Arabs see Israel as complicit in breaking up Sudan
and supporting the separatist rebel movements that emerged in South
Sudan since Sudan became independent in 1956.
Israel quickly recognized South Sudan and its Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Kiir in July promising his country’s
assistance in areas of infrastructure, communications and agriculture.
Danon renewed this offer in his talks with South Sudan officials
including Industry and Trade Minister, Foreign Minister and Finance
Minister.
The Israeli MP specifically discussed ways South Sudan can work with
Israel, pointing out that the new state has oil, gold, silver, lead,
copper and other resources.
“Israel’s technological wealth and South Sudan’s wealth of natural
resources are a sure recipe for prosperity in both states,” Danon
said.
South Sudan president also agreed to Danon’s request that the future
South Sudanese embassy in Israel be built in Jerusalem and also
pledged to pay a visit to Israel at an unspecified date.
The status of Jerusalem — a city holy to three religions — is a
sensitive issue for Israel as well as Arab and Muslim states.
Israel considers the city to be its "eternal and indivisible” capital
city while Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem to serve as
the capital of a Palestinian state.
Even the United States, Israel’s staunchest ally, has been careful not
to aggravate the Arab and Muslim states by avoiding making any
official sign that it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the
Jewish state.
The U.S. Congress passed a law in 1995 describing Jerusalem as capital
of Israel and saying it should not be divided, but successive
presidents have used their foreign policy powers to maintain the U.S.
embassy in Tel Aviv and to back negotiations between Israel and the
Palestinians on the status of Jerusalem.
U.S. diplomats say that, despite the U.S. legislation, Washington’s
foreign policy is in practice broadly aligned with that of the United
Nations and other major powers, which do not view Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital and do not recognise Israel’s annexation of Arab East
Jerusalem following the 1967 war.
Kiir’s position contrasts sharply with South Sudan’s pledge a few
weeks ago that it will support Palestinian statehood bid at the United
Nations next month. The move is strongly opposed by Israel.
Israel is home to thousands of Sudanese refugees, including hundreds
from South Sudan, and the country’s independence was greeted with
celebration parties in Tel Aviv, home to much of Israel’s Sudanese
community.
Danon noted the presence of Southern Sudanese in Israel and suggested
that Tel Aviv will help in repatriating them.
“The Sudanese people have undergone ups and downs, but its luck has
improved with the establishment of a new, civilized state,” Danon
said.
“The world must help rehabilitate the Sudanese people and support the
refugees who left families and homes behind by helping them return
safely to their new state.”
Kiir on his end asked Danon to promote vocational training for
Sudanese refugees in Israel, so they could successfully return to
their homeland.
On Tuesday, Danon plans to meet with former refugees who returned to
South Sudan after working in Israel.
Danon said he intends to discuss with them ways to streamline the
process of sending refugees from Israel after vocational training.
(ST)
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