Argentine President Javier Milei has said his country would in 2026 move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the status of which is one of the most delicate issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, AFP reports.

“I am proud to announce before you that in 2026 we will make effective the move of our embassy to the city of west Jerusalem, as we promised,” Milei said in a speech in the Israeli parliament during an official state visit.

Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967, later annexing it in a move not recognised by the international community. Israel treats the city as its capital, while Palestinians want east Jerusalem to become the capital of a future state.

Argentina’s embassy is currently located in Herzliya near the coastal city of Tel Aviv. This is Milei’s second visit to Israel since being elected in 2023. During the previous 2024 trip, he announced plans to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem — a controversial move that echoed US President Donald Trump’s shock 2017 decision to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Most foreign embassies to Israel are located in the coastal hub city of Tel Aviv in order to avoid interfering with negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Several countries, including the United States, Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo, have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, breaking with international consensus.