Eastern Europe blocks EU rant over US embassy move

The US decision to move the embassy raised concern in many capitals, and outrage in some

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: The Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania have recently blocked an EU statement slamming the United States over its plan to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a spokesperson said Saturday.

"The Czech Republic has protested against the planned statement," Jiri Ovcacek, spokesperson for Czech President Milos Zeman, told AFP.

"We appreciate that Hungary and Romania have taken the same principled stance," he said, adding Zeman had agreed on the refusal with Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Foreign Minister Martin Stropnicky.



The US will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday, following the controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital by US President Donald Trump last December.

Known for his anti-Muslim views, the veteran left-winger Zeman would like the Czech embassy to move to Jerusalem too, while Romania is also contemplating the move.

"Israel and the US are key allies for the Czech Republic," said Ovcacek.

"Seventy years ago, Czechoslovakia helped Israel in its struggle for independence and 100 years ago, the US helped Czechoslovakia emerge" as a state, he said.



Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, four years after shedding a totalitarian Communist rule of four decades.

The US decision to move the embassy and to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital raised concern in many capitals, and outrage in some, that Washington is pre-judging the result of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump has been criticised for handing his ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a political victory without insisting on any Israeli concessions that might mollify Palestinians and help revive the moribund peace process.