Netanyahu at ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem's reunification
Netanyahu at ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem's reunificationAlex Kolomoisky/POOL

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked the Czech parliament for the resolution of its lower chamber, the Czech Chamber of Deputies, calling for the Czech government to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The resolution also called for sanctions against UNESCO until it ends its anti-Israel bias. The latest of several similar resolutions, UNESCO voted to deny the Jewish connection to Jerusalem.

Netanyahu made the remarks at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem at Ammunition Hill Wednesday night. He noted that Czechoslovakia provided the newborn State of Israel with vital weapons during the 1948 War of Independence when Western countries enforced an arms embargo on the Jewish State as it fought off an invasion by four Arab armies.

"Today, I would like to thank the Czech parliament for deciding to oppose UNESCO's non-recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem," Netanyahu said. "The Czechs once gave us Czech rifles, this was the start of the struggle. This is also a sign of the opposing struggle to recognize a simple thing. The parliament in Prague called on its government to respect the status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and also proposed halting any additional state payment of UNESCO membership dues as long as the organization continues the political discrimination against Israel. This is the correct, worthy and courageous decision that others should copy."