BREAKING: Slovakia to open Diplomatic Mission in Jerusalem!

This move is contrary to EU policy, which refuses to recognize the Holy City as Israel’s capital.

By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)

On September 1, Slovakia will be opening a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, giving de facto recognition to the Holy City as the capital of Israel. The implications of this historic move go well beyond the borders of this central European state. Although Slovakia is a member of the Europe Union (EU) which is staunchly opposed to (and actively lobbies against) this move before a final status agreement is to be reached between Israel and the Palestinians, the Slavic nation decided to chart an independent approach to foreign policy.

This move follows a series of developments which have upgraded relations between the two countries. In January, Slovakia inked a $182 million deal with Israel Aerospace Industries to purchase 17 radar systems. In May, Slovakia and the Czech Republic became the first new EU nations to celebrate Jerusalem Day (the anniversary of Israel’s liberation of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War) in their respective parliaments (for more on that historic event, click here).

Slovakia had a rich, pre-Shoah Jewish heritage. The prestigious Pressburg Yeshiva, founded in 1807, was located in the capital (in 1938, after Hitler’s annexing of Czechoslovakia, the yeshiva moved to Jerusalem where it flourishes today). The commentaries of the founder of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Moshe Sofer (famously known as the Chasam Sofer) are still considered essential reading in the Yeshiva world.

During Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, Czechoslovakia played a major role in Israel’s victory. When Arab countries attacked, most of Israel’s “Allies” refused to sell any weapons to the fledging state, leaving Israel vulnerable to annihilation. The Czech Republic stepped in, secretly supplying Israel with the needed equipment for victory.

Slovakia will now be joining fellow EU nations Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic who have already opened diplomatic missions in the city (Czech President Miloš Zeman, who is staunchly pro-Israel, has even vowed to move the full embassy to Jerusalem). In March, Kosovo became the first European and Muslim nation to open their embassy in Jerusalem (for more, click here). As reported here last month, Honduras officially moved their embassy to Jerusalem, joining its neighbor Guatemala and the United States who each respectively made their moves in May of 2018.

Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here. To view sample tour itineraries or to inquire about private tour opportunities with a personalized itinerary on your next trip to Israel, click here.