Czech President Milos Zeman on Saturday accused EU states of being "cowards" in their response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"The European Union, cowards, are doing all they can so a pro-Palestinian terrorist movement can have supremacy over a pro-Israeli movement," said Zeman, according to AFP.
The 73-year-old Zeman, targeting a second term from January and who had Friday said he was happy at Trump's controversial move, made Saturday's comment before delegates attending the congress of the far right Freedom and Direct Democracy party, which opposes immigration and the EU.
Zeman added that he had himself spoke in favor of Prague moving the Czech embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv on a visit four years ago.
Following Trump's announcement, the Czech foreign ministry said it saw Jerusalem as the future capital both of Israel and a future Palestinian state and that Prague could only consider moving its embassy after consulting regional partners.
On Friday, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis ruled out Zeman’s suggestion that the Czech Republic would follow the United States’ example and move its embassy to Jerusalem, saying Trump’s move “is not good. You can see the reactions.”
The EU's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini warned on Thursday that Trump's move had a "very worrying potential impact" and could take the region "backwards to even darker times than the ones we're already living in".
Mogherini added that "the aspirations of both parties must be fulfilled and a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states."