DR Congo to open representation office in Jerusalem: Israel

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intends to open a diplomatic and commercial representation in the occupied city of Jerusalem, the Israeli government said on Thursday.

The announcement came after a meeting in the city between Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Central African nation.

"The President of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi informed the Israeli Prime Minister of the opening of a diplomatic and commercial representation for his country soon in Jerusalem," the statement said.

It added that "the Congolese president supports Israel's accession to the African Union as an observer, and he is working on that." Tshisekedi is also chairperson of the African Union.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has yet to issue a statement on the two leaders’ meeting.

The African country was one of the countries that participated in the 2018 opening of the US Embassy when it moved from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, Tshisekedi made an unannounced visit to Tel Aviv, the first visit from a Congolese leader since 1985, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN News.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the decades-long Mideast conflict, with Palestinians insisting that East Jerusalem – illegally occupied by Israel since 1967 – should serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

In an effort to make the occupation seem legitimate, Israel has been trying to convince countries to move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

So far, the US, Guatemala, Honduras, and Kosovo have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, while the Czech Republic and Brazil have opened offices and representations in the city.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar