The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced plans to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the latest country to back the highly contentious diplomatic move.
The decision was announced Thursday following DRC President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s visit to Israel. A joint statement said the two countries would take steps toward “the relocation of the embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem”, although no date was given for the transfer.
Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening diplomatic ties during their meeting, according to the statement.
The DRC president has long expressed support for Israel, attributing his position in part to his Christian faith. At the same time, Tshisekedi has been seeking stronger US support as Washington increases pressure on Rwanda over the activities of armed groups in eastern DRC.
The announcement comes shortly after Colombia’s newly elected right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella said his government would also relocate the country’s embassy to Jerusalem. The move represents a major departure from the policy of his predecessor, who had strongly criticised Israel over its military operations in Gaza.
Most countries that recognise Israel continue to keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. They maintain that Jerusalem’s final status should be determined through a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian settlement.
The United States broke from that approach in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem during his first term. Israel’s parliament, prime minister’s office and several other key government institutions are located in the city.
Since then, a small number of US-aligned countries—including Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay—have followed Washington’s lead.
Kosovo and Somaliland, neither of which is a UN member state, have also established diplomatic missions in Jerusalem that they regard as embassies.
Argentine President Javier Milei, a vocal supporter of Israel, has likewise pledged to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem. That relocation has not yet taken place, reportedly amid disagreements linked to an Israeli company’s plans to drill in the British-administered Falkland Islands, which Argentina claims and calls the Malvinas.
Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed the territory. Israel regards Jerusalem as its eternal and undivided capital, while Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. The city’s status remains one of the central disputes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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