Uruguay summons Israeli envoy over tweet about Jerusalem

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The government of Uruguay slams Israel’s ambassador for using social media to criticize a statement by the country’s chancellor that called Tel Aviv the capital of the Jewish state.

“Surprised and disappointed to hear the chancellor declaring that Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. Capaz Salto is the capital of Uruguay? Israel has a capital, Jerusalem, for 70 years. The Knesset, the ministries, the residence of the Prime Minister and the President, the Supreme Court, are there,” Nina Ben-Ami tweeted in Spanish in her personal account on December 7.

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay.

The ambassador was summoned to Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters “in order to provide explanations on her comments,” the ministry announced. Ben-Ami was urged “to maintain government exchanges through the corresponding official channels,” reported the Aurora news website.

The Uruguayan position was related to Ben-Ami “within the framework of the traditional relationship of friendship and cooperation that unites” both countries, the ministry’s statement reads.

Ben-Ami also posted her comment on her personal account on Facebook, where she added more information.

“Exactly one year ago, during this same week, the [Uruguyan] chancellor was in Israel on an official visit. He had meetings in Jerusalem with the prime minister in his office, and in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, with minister Michael Oren. For promoting peace, we must not kill the truth. When the Palestinians start to see the reality of Israel, as a neighbor and not as something artificial that can disappear, the possibility of building real peace will be even stronger,” she wrote in the post.

— JTA