Papua New Guinea just opened its embassy in Jerusalem! This makes them the fifth country to have a diplomatic mission in the city.  

The Inauguration

The embassy was officially opened with the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape. They were both there to celebrate this special occasion. How cool is that?

A Long Friendship

Papua New Guinea and Israel established diplomatic relations back in 1978, just three years after Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia.  

  Israel has been helping Papua New Guinea in several fields. They have provided aid in areas like agriculture, medicine, and humanitarian assistance.  

A Change in Voting

  Papua New Guinea used to vote against Israel in the United Nations, but recently they stopped doing that. It seems like their friendship has made them change their minds.  

Other Countries

Papua New Guinea is not the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem. In 2018, the United States made this move, and Honduras, Guatemala, and Kosovo followed. It looks like more and more countries are recognizing Jerusalem as a capital.

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