Last week, the Senate in Buenos Aires decided to stop the process of moving the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem, after opposition from lawmakers from the country's leftist parties.

The decision came less than two months after Argentine President Javier Miley visited Israel and announced his intention to move his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to the Israeli news site iNews 24.

A temporary settlement was reached in Argentina, according to which legislators from left-wing parties would agree to support the nomination of Rabbi Axel Fakhnisch as the new Argentine ambassador to Israel, who is considered close to President Miley, and in return it was decided to at least temporarily freeze the transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem.

It is noteworthy that during his visit to Israel last February, Miley pledged to Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz to move the embassy to Jerusalem. Since his election, Miley expressed “broad support for Israel and its right to defend itself in the war in Gaza, calling for the immediate release of the kidnapped persons without any conditions.”

One of the main reasons for opponents of moving the embassy in Argentine politics is the existence of a law stating that Argentina will not establish any embassy or political institutions in “occupied and disputed territories.” This law stems from Buenos Aires’ long claim to the British-controlled Malawi (Falkland) Islands.

For its part, Hamas said that the decision places Argentina as a partner to the occupier in its violations against the Palestinian people and their national rights to their land and sanctities.

Until now, the vast majority of countries have refrained from moving their embassies to Jerusalem, with the exception of the United States, Kosovo, Guatemala, Honduras, and Papua New Guinea.

In recent years, the Palestinian Authority and Arab and Islamic countries have repeatedly called on countries to refrain from moving their embassies to Jerusalem.

(dpa)