Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C), his wife Sara Netanyahu (C-L), Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner (C-R), US President's daughter Ivanka Trump (3rd R), US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (R) and Israel's President Reuven Rivlin (2nd R) attend the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. (AFP PHOTO)
The US and Israel celebrated the opening of a new American embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, a controversial move that was decried by Palestinians and global observers who saw it as a barrier to establishing a peaceful settlement.
There were no Arab representatives among those diplomats attending the lavish televised ceremony, and many European, Asian and African countries also boycotted the event.
The only representative of Western Europe was Austria; Eastern and Central European representatives in attendance included diplomats from Albania, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia.
The Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary also attended; the countries had reportedly helped block an EU statement censuring the US’ move to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem.
Asian countries represented included Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
From Latin America, Paraguay and Guatemala (who have both said they will also move their embassies to Israel to Jerusalem), the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru and Panama.
Representatives of African countries included Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania and Congo.
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