Herzog meets with Ecuador president ahead of opening of Jerusalem innovation office
Herzog and Noboa stress need for return of hostages held in Gaza, and for peace; FM Sa’ar meets Ecuadorian ministers, praises Quito for being on ‘right side of history’
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday held separate meetings with officials from Ecuador on a visit during which the South American country will open a new Innovation Research and Development Center with diplomatic status in Jerusalem.
Herzog welcomed Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, marking Noboa’s first visit to Israel, Herzog’s office said.
“We are very grateful… for declaring the opening of your representative office in Jerusalem, which will be a diplomatic representative office. It is a huge step forward,” Herzog told Noboa.
Herzog stressed the importance of bringing home the remaining hostages, calling their continued captivity in Gaza “a stain on humanity, which also impacts the future of the region and the ability of… Israel and its neighbors to move forward towards peace.”
Noboa responded in agreement, saying, “We need to bring your citizens back home,” and added that his nation “advocate[s] for peace, but we understand sometimes that peace has to be attained through strength.”
“We respect and value your expertise in technology and defense. We would like to work together,” Noboa continued, noting Ecuador’s own domestic struggle against terrorism.
Meanwhile, Sa’ar met with Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld, Defense Minister Giancarlo Loffredo, and Interior Minister John Reimberg at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, according to his office.
“Ecuador is on the right side of history. Jerusalem is our eternal capital,” Sa’ar told the ministers.
“During the meeting, the parties also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional issues, with Iran at the forefront,” Sa’ar’s office added in a statement, saying that the foreign minister “emphasized that a nuclear Iran poses the greatest threat to regional and global peace.”
In March, after speaking with Sommerfeld, Sa’ar announced Quito’s intention to open the Jerusalem office.
Currently, six countries have embassies in Jerusalem — the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay. Fiji said in February that it would move its embassy as well.
Israel considers Jerusalem to be its capital, including East Jerusalem, which it annexed in 1980. Most of the international community says the final borders of the city should be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, and therefore, many countries maintain their embassies in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area while maintaining consulates in Jerusalem.
The Knesset in October approved a law prohibiting the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem that are not embassies, a move aimed at bolstering Israel’s claim to the city. The law stipulates that no new consulates can be established in Jerusalem, while the government will encourage the establishment of foreign embassies in the city.
US President Donald Trump moved his country’s embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, during his first term, in what Israel hoped would lead to a flood of countries to follow suit.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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