HUGE NEWS! Suriname to move their embassy to Jerusalem!

This South American nation becomes the 5th country to move their embassy!

By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours (click here to book a tour of Israel and see sample itineraries) & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)

In a major diplomatic victory for Israel, Suriname is set to move their embassy to Jerusalem, becoming the latest country to recognize the Holy City as the eternal capital of the Jewish people! According to Surinamese foreign minister Albert Ramchand Ramdin in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, this move is to happen in the near future. Currently, the South American nation operates a mission in Tel Aviv.

Suriname has a rich Jewish history. Portuguese and Spanish Jews from Holland (who fled due to their persecution at the hands of the infamous Inquisition) came to South America in the 17th century. They were offered very favorable terms to settle there by the Dutch (and also the British who controlled the land for a short time). They were given equal rights (unheard of at that time), the right to build synagogues and Mikvehs (ritual baths) and were even given full autonomy to govern their own community without outside interference from the government. Prior to the founding of Israel in 1948, the Surinamese Jewish community was the only diaspora community in the world where Jews had full political autonomy. The Jews became instrumental in developing Suriname’s economy, particularly in trade and the production of sugar. Three synagogues were built, two of which are still owned by the community (although only one of them, Neve Shalom, is still active). The synagogues were famous for their custom of covering the floors in sand (according to tradition, this was both as a reminder of the Children of Israel who spent 40 years in the desert and to muffle the sounds of their prayers, a remnant from the days where they had to pray in secret away from the prying eyes of the Inquisition). In the 19th century, due to economic crises in the country (which significantly affected the nations Jews) the community significantly dwindled. When Suriname received its independence in 1975 from Holland followed by a civil war in the 1980s, most of the remaining Jews left. According to the latest census, there are currently 181 Jews left in the country.

With this move, Suriname will become the fifth country to move their full embassy to Jerusalem (after the United States, Guatemala, Kosovo and Honduras). Other countries have opened embassy branches in Jerusalem (giving de facto recognition of Israel’s claim to its Holy City) such as Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Brazil and Columbia have opened diplomatic missions in the capital city, while Equatorial New Guinea and Malawi have pledged to move their embassies to Jerusalem.

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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.