Israel says Nauru will become the ninth country to open an embassy in Jerusalem

Nauru will open an embassy in Jerusalem, Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar announced Sunday, making the small Pacific island nation the ninth country to maintain an embassy in the city.

Saar made the announcement after meeting Lionel Aingimea, Nauru's vice president and foreign minister. He described Nauru as a close friend of Israel and said he would continue working to advance international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Nauru will join Somaliland, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Fiji, which already have embassies in Jerusalem. Argentina and Colombia have also expressed interest in strengthening their relationship with Israel through the same step.

The status of Jerusalem remains disputed. Israel regards the entire city, including East Jerusalem, as its undivided capital. Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and unilaterally annexed it in 1980, a move the international community does not recognize. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

Most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv and operate offices or consulates in Jerusalem. The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, after President Donald Trump announced in 2017 that Washington recognized the city as Israel's capital.

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Nauru is a true friend of Israel, consistently standing by our side on the international stage. Tonight, we discussed a number of ways to deepen and strengthen ties between our countries. I will continue working to advance international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital!