The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) on Monday applauded the agreement between Israel and Kosovo to formally establish diplomatic ties.
The signing ceremony, which was held via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, included an announcement that Kosovo, which is a Muslim-majority nation, will open an embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Guatemala.
“The normalization of ties between Israel and Kosovo is yet another positive step towards enhanced peace in the Middle East and improved relations between the Jewish state and the Muslim world,” said NCYI President Farley Weiss.
“This agreement is further evidence that the ongoing efforts to reduce Israel’s diplomatic isolation in the Arab world and on the international stage are yielding positive and productive results.”
“Kosovo’s decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and open an embassy there is something that we hope will be replicated by other members of the international community,” Weiss added. “As Israel’s eternal and indisputable capital, Jerusalem plays a vital role in the Jewish people’s storied history, and it is only fitting that the other nations of the world acknowledge its status accordingly.”
“It is incredibly significant that Kosovo is the first Muslim country and only the third country in the world to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem,” Weiss continued. “Through its historic actions, Kosovo is helping lead the way to greater collaboration between Israel and its Muslim counterparts and is playing a principal role in the advancement of peace.”
This past September, it was announced that Serbia would be relocating its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by July 2021 and that Kosovo would recognize Israel.
These moves were included in an agreement on economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo which was signed at a meeting with then-US President Donald Trump in the White House.
The moves were criticized by the Palestinian Authority as well as by the Arab League.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi said at the time that "mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel is a historic achievement."