The international condemnation of the US decision to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which hasn’t only sparked outrage in Muslim countries and Arab capitals, but has been dealt a huge blow at the level of the UN’s as it was rejected to be ”null and void” by a general assembly vote by some 129 countries who voted against it.

Finding itself in the minority didn’t deter Guatemala any one bit and the president of the Central American country’s announced on his official Facebook account that it will be following in the footsteps of the United States in moving its embassy to Jerusalem after discussing the issue with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump announced America’s intent to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his administration’s plan to move the US embassy there, reversing decades in foreign policy which not upset traditional Western allies across the globe but angered the Arab world as well with street protests condemning the decision and call for a ”day of rage” in the Muslim capitals.

Despite the isolation of the US for its decision to recognize Jerusalem, the President of the Palestinian Authority insisting the United States has now proven itself as a ”bias broker” in the peace process, the Americans seem to have gained an ally in Guatemala who just last week, was among the 9 countries who sided with the United States at a UN vote on Jerusalem’s status. There might be more in the future but right now, the United States’ move concerning status of Jerusalem is greatly seen as a destabilizing act and a disrupter of any Middle East peace talks. The recent UN Security Council draft resolution pushed by Egypt with a 14 against 1 for the US and the overwhelming majority of countries who rejected the move at the General Assembly vote should teach Washington a lesson.

Neba Benson,

BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst