Kuwait discusses opening an embassy in Palestine
Discussions are under way to open a Kuwaiti embassy in Palestine.
Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Sabah, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, yesterday said the move would show his country’s support for Palestine against Israel’s illegal occupation.
“Kuwait is one of the most committed countries to Arab and international resolutions, rejecting Israeli occupation of Arab territories,” local media reported Sheikh Sabah as saying.
The statement came in response to official parliamentary questioning by member Osama Al Shaheen. Kuwaiti parliamentarians have the constitutional right to question members of government on some topics.
Although several Arab countries maintain diplomatic representatives in Palestine, the establishment of an embassy would be a first.
Sheikh Sabah did not indicate whether Jerusalem was being considered for the proposed embassy.
The future of East Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital has become even more of a sensitive topic after President Donald Trump formally recognised the city as the capital of Israel, a move that was denounced by the UN and 128 countries.
Palestine and Kuwait have a long history of co-operation. Former Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat was a long-time resident in Kuwait, where he formed the Fatah political organisation.
But relations between the two broke down in 1990 when Arafat aligned with Saddam Hussein during Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The move prompted the departure of 200,000 Palestinians.
The countries have since worked to repair relations, with the number of Palestinians in Kuwait at 80,000. Palestine reopened its embassy in Kuwait in 2013.
A Kuwaiti law passed last year to hire Palestinian teachers has been regarded as a positive step towards improving Kuwait’s state education.
The country’s foreign policy towards Palestine shifted drastically last year, with more politicians strengthening ties.
Kuwait’s Speaker of Parliament, Mazouq Al Ghanimhas pushed to repair Kuwaiti relations with Palestine, most recently speaking at the Al Azhar World Conference in Support of Jerusalem held in Cairo this month.