Israel hails Chakwera’s decision for Malawi mission to open in Jerusalem

Israel has committed to upscale bilateral relations with Malawi following the decision by President Lazarus Chakwera to establish a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem.

Malawi will be the first African country to establish a diplomatic office in Jerusalem against a background of an unresolved conflict between Israel and Palestine over east Jerusalem and many countries recognise Tel Aviv as the capital and establish their missions there.

However, Israel Ambassador Oded Joseph, who is based in Nairobi, Kenya, hailed Chakwera for his decision that Malawi mission be based in Jerusalem, saying there is no controversy in that because, he said, Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.

“We are naturally encouraged with President’s Chakwera’s decision which gives Malawi easy access to Israel. This is a long-standing relationship between the two countries,” said Oded.

Oded told Nyasa Times in Lilongwe that President Chakwera’s administration will get much support from Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Lilongwe and Jerusalem have since signed a Memorandum of Understanding which aims to enhance agriculture.

Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe and the Israeli Ambassador signed the pact on Thursday at the NRC Luanar Campus.

Oded said Israel is committed to help Malawi boost agriculture by training its young graduates from Luanar.

Speaking after signing the MOU, Lowe expressed sincere gratitude to the   Israel Ambassador on this visit to the Natural Resources College.

Lowe said he was  reliably informed that in 2013 the past regime of former president Joyce Banda, there was a project on Presidential Initiative on Hunger and Poverty Reduction and that through that project NRC was among the beneficiaries such that in the same

year, a technical group from Ministry and the Embassy of Israel visited the College to announce their plan to include NRC as one of the sites in the country to mount demonstrations on Drip Irrigation System.

He commended the Israeli Government for the Technical and material support it has always been offering to Malawi in general and the Natural Resources College in particular  through the  Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger reduction in Malawi.

“Israel is very advanced in agriculture  technologies and it is very gratifying to  note that this College is benefiting from  them through a number of initiatives,” he said.

In his maiden State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered un Parliament on September 4, 2020, President Chakwera announced that Malawi will establish its mission in Jerusalem, a decision commentators have described as a insensitive and a violation of the United Nations Security Councils resolutions.

But when he appeared before parliament to answer questions from lawmakers, Chakwera stuck to his decision, saying Malawi is  sovereign state which should  able to challenge  such UN resolutions.