Honduras is reportedly holding talks with Israel, joined by the United States, aimed at opening an embassy in Jerusalem, the countries said on Tuesday, as the small Central American nation looks to follow U.S. President Donald Trump's move.
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández held a meeting in the Brazilian capital on the sidelines of the inauguration of right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
The three agreed to hold meetings in the capitals of each country "to advance the decision process to open embassies in both Tegucigalpa [the capital] and Jerusalem," as well as "strengthen political relations and coordinate development cooperation in Honduras," the countries said in a joint statement.
Israel Hayom learned on Tuesday that despite the face no official timetable, has been set, the Honduran Embassy would most likely relocate to the Israeli capital within two months.
Israel currently does not maintain a permanent embassy in Honduras.
The right-leaning Hernández is the latest leader to consider following Trump's decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Hernández told reporters the trilateral talks represented "an important political alliance."
Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut off aid to Honduras, a poor nation of fewer than 10 million people, over caravans of migrants crossing Mexico heading for the U.S. border.
Guatemala, another country seeking closer U.S. ties, quickly joined Trump's decision and moved its embassy to Jerusalem just two days after the U.S. opened offices in May. Paraguay also followed, but a new government backtracked in September.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that Bolsonaro told him it was a question of "when, not if" Brazil would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
