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| Africa North |
| New South Sudan Gov't Will Put Embassy In Jerusalem, Not Tel Aviv |
| 2011-09-01 |
| The president of the newly established state of South Sudan told a visiting Israeli delegation that their future embassy in the Jewish state will be built in the disputed city of Jerusalem rather than in the political capital of Tel Aviv, according to a newspaper report. Danny Danon, Israeli member of Likud Party and Parliament member, is currently on a visit to South Sudan capital of Juba where he met with president Salva Kiir. The 'Jerusalem Post' newspaper quoted Kiir as telling the visiting delegation that his country resisted Arab and Palestinian pressure on relations with Israel. "I told them that I see Israeli embassies in Jordan and Egypt, and South Sudan is not an Arab state," Kiir reportedly told Danon. South Sudan became an independent state last month after its citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor of separation from the Arab-Muslim dominated north. Many Sudanese and Arabs see Israel as complicit in breaking up Sudan and supporting the separatist rebel movements that emerged in South Sudan since Sudan became independent in 1956. Israel quickly recognized South Sudan and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Kiir in July promising his country's assistance in areas of infrastructure, communications and agriculture. Danon renewed this offer in his talks with South Sudan officials including Industry and Trade Minister, Foreign Minister and Finance Minister. The Israeli MP specifically discussed ways South Sudan can work with Israel, pointing out that the new state has oil, gold, silver, lead, copper and other resources. "Israel's technological wealth and South Sudan's wealth of natural resources are a sure recipe for prosperity in both states," Danon said. South Sudan president also agreed to Danon's request that the future South Sudanese embassy in Israel be built in Jerusalem and also pledged to pay a visit to Israel at an unspecified date. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #2 Israel could certainly help South Sudan get a port on the Red Sea one way or another. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-09-01 20:59 |
| #1 This is a golden opportunity for both countries. Israel can teach South Sudan the "Israeli economic miracle", along with technologies that can turn South Sudan into an educated and prosperous paradise in short order. And for its part, South Sudan could provide its raw materials, especially oil, to Israeli markets. The one problem is that, while it could go through Christian Ethiopia, because of Eritrea, Ethiopia no longer has direct access to the Red Sea. If it could get that, it would have a straight shot to Israel. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-09-01 20:29 |