Nauru opens embassy in Jerusalem

Nauru opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, joining a small group of countries with embassies in the contested city.

Nauru's vice president and foreign minister, Lionel Aingimea, said the opening strengthened ties with Israel and was “a message to the world of where we stand”.

Most countries keep their embassies in Tel Aviv, arguing that Jerusalem's status should be settled in a final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

US President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 during his first term. Since then, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay have followed. Kosovo and Somaliland, which are not UN member-states, have also opened what they consider embassies in Jerusalem.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called Nauru “one of Israel's greatest friends” at the inauguration ceremony. He said other countries would soon follow, saying Colombia was expected to open an embassy in Jerusalem in early October.

Bogota has not confirmed a date, but Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella announced such a move in July. The Democratic Republic of Congo said last week it would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and Argentine President Javier Milei has also promised to move Argentina's embassy to the city.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and annexed it in 1967, in a move not recognised by the vast majority of the international community.