Parliamentarians reject idea of establishing Surinamese embassy in Jerusalem
The parliamentarians rejected moves by the Suriname government to establish an embassy in Jerusalem with the president, Marinus Bee, telling lawmakers: “We know how sensitive it is to open a Suriname embassy in Jerusalem.
“I want to make it clear to the government that we don’t want this because we know what the consequences for the country could be. There should be no embassy in Jerusalem. We are not going to put ourselves in this position and it is a clear mission of the National Assembly towards the government,” Bee told parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and International Cooperation Albert Ramdin pledged to open an embassy in Jerusalem during a bilateral meeting he held Monday in Jerusalem with his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid.
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Shortly after the meeting, Lapid posted the “good news” on Twitter, with many lawmakers expressing concern over the Santhoki government’s decision.
“Suriname will open an embassy in the capital of Israel, Jerusalem. Today, during our meeting in Jerusalem, the Foreign Minister of Suriname, Albert Ramdin, informed me that his country plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem in the near future. Dank u wel Suriname! Thank you, Surinam!
Barkat Mohab-Ali of the government faction raised the issue in parliament, saying the Muslim community is “in shock” and the issue of Jerusalem is very sensitive for Muslims.
He said most of the countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel have established their embassies in Tel Aviv and also wanted to know if Ramdin spoke out of turn or if his statement was misunderstood.
“Depending on the answer, my decision will be whether I will stay in this faction or in another faction. For me, Barkat Mohab-Ali, a Suriname embassy in Jerusalem is unacceptable, he added.
National Democratic Party (NDP) opposition party member Soewarto Moestadja said “anger and unrest” arose in Suriname’s Muslim community over the government’s intention, calling on the government to state the reasons for its decision.
Moestadja said Suriname became a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the 1990s and at least 71% of UN countries have not established embassies in Jerusalem.
National Party of Suriname (NPS) leader Gregory Rusland said he also wanted to know the basis on which the government made its decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
“We call on the government not to take these kinds of decisions lightly, but to think about them carefully. From the parliament, I call on all colleagues to contribute so that Suriname does not end up on the wrong track when it comes to our foreign policy,” Rusland said.
Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk told parliament that the government had approved the appointment of a non-resident ambassador to Israel.
He said no approval has been given for an embassy in Jerusalem and that the government respects all religious movements.
He said the government is waiting for Ramdin’s return before making another statement.
The government recently appointed Stevanus Noordzee as non-resident ambassador to Israel and during his visit to Israel, Ramdin signed an agreement with Lapid on political consultation between the two countries.
Lapid offered to send humanitarian aid to Suriname following severe flooding in the country.
Israel and Suriname established diplomatic relations in 1976.
CMC/