Czech Republic announces it recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel's capital

[Mingle]

The Czech Republic on Wednesday followed US President Donald Trump’s lead.

In a statement on its Foreign Ministry’s web site, it said, “The Czech Republic currently, before the peace between Israel and Palestine is signed, recognizes Jerusalem to be in fact the capital of Israel in the borders of the demarcation line from 1967.”

“The Czech Republic together with other EU member states, following the EU Foreign Affaires Council Conclusions, considers Jerusalem to be future capital of both states, meaning the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine.”　

In so doing, it took an unusual step of breaking with EU member states who hold Jerusalem should not recognized as Israel’s capital until a final status agreement is reached.

But unlike the US, the Czech Foreign Ministry also said that it would only consider relocating its embassy based on results of negotiations.

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http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/C...capital-517241

[Mingle]

He went even further, calling on the embassies in Tel Aviv to be moved to Jerusalem during a speech he gave in New York at a gala event by the newspaper The Algemeiner.

The European Union, cowards, are doing all they can so a pro-Palestinian terrorist movement can have supremacy over a pro-Israeli movement,” Zeman said, according to the AFP news agency.

He spoke Saturday at an event of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party.

Zeman and the Czech Republic are known for their strong support of Israel. Immediately after Trump’s speech on Wednesday, the Czech Foreign Ministry announced its recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.


In September, Zeman also spoke of international cowardice regarding Israel and cited as an example the refusal by almost all the world’s nations to recognize Israel as a Jewish state or acknowledge Jerusalem as its capital.

He went even further during a speech in New York given at an event sponsored by the The Algemeiner newspaper, in which he called for all embassies in Tel Aviv to be moved to Jerusalem.

“I proposed this removal [of our embassy from Tel Aviv] four years ago during my visit to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told me if [we did] so, ‘I will give you my own house.’ I hope his promise is still valid,” Zeman said.

“Anyway, now after the same promise of Donald Trump in the election campaign, I think it might be a good hint,” he said. “And this hint might be followed by some courageous countries, not all countries, but courageous countries. This is a concrete step toward real solidarity [with Israel] and not solidarity by words only.”

Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis called the Czech ambassador on Sunday to thank him for his country’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“You are a brave people who are not afraid to fight on our side for the truth. The Czech Republic is a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” he said.

To date, the Czech Republic has not made good on Zeman’s statement with regard to moving its embassy. But the Czech stance recognizing Jerusalem as the capital marks a break from the 27 other EU nations that do not recognize any part of the city, including its western section, as being under Israeli sovereignty.

Mogherini downplayed the significance of the Czech position and has issued a number of statements condemning Trump’s declaration and his intention to relocate the US Embassy.

“The statement done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic is definitely not an act of support to the United States’ administration decision,” she said on Friday.

“I spoke myself yesterday morning with the foreign minister of the Czech Republic,”Mogherini said. “He guaranteed to me that the Czech Republic stays firmly with the common European Union consolidated position on Jerusalem being the capital of the future state of Palestine, meaning two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both along 1967 lines, which is explicitly referred to in the statement by the Czech Foreign Ministry. And if I do not remember wrong, the statement also refers to the need to have negotiations.”

Mogherini is expected to speak with Netanyahu about the issue in Brussels on Monday when he meets with the 28 ministers of the EU.

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http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/EUs...nt-says-517577

[Magnolia]

You probably don't know our history - relationships with Israel. Czech Republic is probably the most pro-Israel country in the world. We take them as our friendly nation, even a little bit our child. We will always support their existence, etc.

[ЛыSSый]

The Czech Republic on Wednesday followed US President Donald Trump’s lead.

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[Mingle]

You probably don't know our history - relationships with Israel. Czech Republic is probably the most pro-Israel country in the world. We take them as our friendly nation, even a little bit our child. We will always support their existence, etc.

It's mentioned online often (even on TA sometimes). I think the Czech Republic sent some of the first fighter jets to Israel during the First Arab-Israeli War.

[Magnolia]

It's mentioned online often (even on TA sometimes). I think the Czech Republic sent some of the first fighter jets to Israel during the First Arab-Israeli War.

That's right, but we supported them even before it. It is a long tradition (it was disrupted only during the communistic era, it was forbidden by Soviets) but after 1989 relationships were restored.
Our first "democratic" president Havel went for his first presidential visit to Israel... not to Germany, not to US, to Israel...

[paprika]

[Mingle]

That's right, but we supported them even before it. It is a long tradition (it was disrupted only during the communistic era, it was forbidden by Soviets) but after 1989 relationships were restored.
Our first "democratic" president Havel went for his first presidential visit to Israel... not to Germany, not to US, to Israel...

Do you know the roots of the Czech Republic's pro-Israel stance? Like why is CR so pro-Jewish compared to other European countries?

[Magnolia]

Do you know the roots of the Czech Republic's pro-Israel stance? Like why is CR so pro-Jewish compared to other European countries?

Hard to say... good relationships between Czechs and Jews have a long tradition. Prague is even called European Jerusalem sometimes (some people believe during the Middle Ages it was connected with Jerusalem by sacred geometry .)

What we know for sure the first Czechoslovakian president (Czechoslovakia was established 1918) supported the foundation of Israel a lot; (there are named some streets and squares in Israel after him). At that time Czechs were in similar situation as Jews... we didn't have an independent state, we had to live under the rule of the House of Habsburg... and we were alone in it, world didn't care about us at all.... We were able to understand to their problems...

[Mikula]

Do you know the roots of the Czech Republic's pro-Israel stance? Like why is CR so pro-Jewish compared to other European countries?

It is interesting question and the answer is not so simple as it seems.
But the ethos of the 1st Czechoslovak president T.G. Masaryk played IMHO very important rule for it.
In 19th century was anti-semitism rather mainstream idea in European societies, Czechs were not exception in that times.
Masaryk was atacked by Czech society as a traitor because he fought aginst the antisemitic campaign during Hilsner Affair.
Very interesting is, that Masaryk several years later answere to Karel Čapek to his question:
How did you overcame anti-semitism, with your, conservative, village, catholic, family background?
TGM answered:
I overcame it by my brain but never by my heart.

Nevertheless, establishing of Czechoslovakia did not started well for Jews here.
In the town of Holešov happened even pogrom against local Jews.
There were not only the religious and social-economic differences among Czechs and Jews, but also language/political questions.
Jews were more loyal to the Hapbsburg throne than Czechs, and what was for Czech nationalism even worse, Jews were mostly German-speaking, for obvious reasons.

Nevertheless, in next years Jews became loyal to the Czechoslovakia more than the most of another ethnic minorities.

Franz Kafka is the most known Jewish writer from Czechoslovakia, but there were more another Jewish authors here, and unlike Kafka who wrote his books in German, another ones published their works in Czech, for example
Karel Poláček

Like in another countries, a lot of Jews were succesful in film industry, Hugo Haas belonged to the most popular Czech actors in 1930s

Jewish fortune during next Nazi occupation is known.

After WW2, first Czechoslovak governments supported establishing of Israel.
It is true about both governments:
- before 25 Feb 1948
as well as after this date.

Czechoslovakia trained Israeli paratroopers, and supported Israel by guns and ammunition, too.
It was possible because USSR supported Israel in that times, too.

When Soviet government decieded to end supporting of Israel (one was not so much pro-Soviet, as they hoped), and started to support rather its Arabic neighbours, countries of Eastern Block, had to follow the new politics.

It had also its special inner consequencies:
Witch hunt agianst "Zionist traitos" in Czechoslovak government and communist party - several high ranked communists, includes leader of communist party, was executed after show trial

Despite of the political changes, large part of Czechoslovak inteligentsia in 1960s was pro-Israeli oriented, what was shown later, during Six-Day War
Most known is case of Slovak writer Mňačko.

Since 1967 Czechoslovakia, as well as another Soviet-oriented countries ended its official ties with Israel.
One was normalized after fall of communism in 1990.

Czech society differs from another Euro peoples, according the opinion to Israeli-Palestinian conflict, actually.
I am not sure, whether I know all reasons for it, but I can try to fins some of ones at least.

To be honest, not all of Czechs are pro-Israeli in this case, there are some pro-Palestinian or neutral, too.
But pro -Israeli side is larger than in another Euro countries.

Both sides argued by Czechoslovak historical expperience:

Pro-Israeli Czechs compare the situation of Israel, endangered by its hostile neighbours, with situation of Czechoslovakia in 1938
Pro-Palestinian Czechs compare the situation of Palestine, under foreign occupation with Czechoslovakia under Nazi occupation

And how my favorite Czech diplomat says:
The less you know about the conflict, the more hardline is your opinion about it


I could be perhaps mistaken, but it seems that in the Western Europe and USA, to be leftist/liberal eans that you had to be also pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli.
In our country it sounds strange even for large part of Czech leftists.

Perhaps it is consquented with our different post-war history, (1968 is a special chapter of it).

Anyway, I am rather pro-Israeli, but I generally understand the opinions of another side, too.