Top Israeli officials and ambassadors from across the world converged on Israel’s Knesset on Wednesday for the Jerusalem Embassy Tribute Ceremony in honor of Jerusalem Day.
The event, initiated by the Katz Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP) and the Knesset’s Jerusalem Caucus, paid tribute to the countries that have moved their embassies to the Israeli capital and those in the process of doing so.
“Jerusalem Day is more than just a date on the calendar—it’s a declaration that the Jewish people have returned to their land, are united in their capital and are determined to remain here forever,” said MK Dan Illouz (Likud) during the opening ceremony.
“Today, we also honor the countries that have chosen to stand with the truth. Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not a political favor—it’s an acknowledgment of reality. And in today’s world, simply recognizing reality takes real courage,” said Illouz, who helped organize the event.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas revealed its true nature with terrifying clarity, he said, committing acts of brutality and mass murder in pursuit of the genocidal goal of eliminating Israel. That goal, he noted, includes a clear intent to seize Jerusalem.
“Hamas has been explicit about this ambition, fully aware of the city’s profound symbolic, religious and national importance to the Jewish people,” Illouz said.
“Jerusalem is the beating heart of the Jewish people, the capital of our land, the symbol of our sovereignty and the center of our faith. That is why we must say it clearly: We will never give up on Jerusalem—not now, not ever,” he concluded.
The United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay all have embassies in Jerusalem, while Argentina and Fiji have vowed to follow suit.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 during his first term to move the American embassy to Jerusalem set the stage for other countries to relocate their missions.
“Jerusalem is the undisputed, the undivided capital of the Jewish state of Israel. I am so very proud to represent President Trump here,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told the crowd.
“I was so thrilled when in his first term he did something that every American president promised, but only he delivered,” said Huckabee, who was presented with a certificate of appreciation at the ceremony. “He looked at me and said … it’s the right thing to do,” he continued.
“It is in the capital of the Jewish state where it belongs, and where I pray every country will move their embassy, not for symbolic reason but because for 3,000 years it had been the undisputed, undivided, forever indigenous capital of the Jewish state, and it just makes sense,” he added.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana told JNS he was proud to host a conference in honor of the countries that moved their embassies to Jerusalem, which he described as “the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years.”
These countries’ “courageous step” represented not only historical justice, he continued, but also “a necessary moral position, emphasizing their commitment to the values of truth and peace.”
“On behalf of the Knesset, I would like to thank President Trump, who was the first leader to chart the path for additional countries, and call on all our friends in the world, especially now, when Israel is fighting the free world’s war against murderous sons of darkness, to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move their embassies to this city,” said Ohana.
This year’s Jerusalem Day marked 58 years since the reunification of the holy city in the 1967 Six-Day War, which also saw Israeli forces liberate Judea and Samaria.
“The entire Israeli government views the transfer of embassies to Jerusalem as the right and just move,” Meir Porush, minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Heritage, told JNS. “Such action serves as an example for other nations to follow, recognizing the fundamental right of the Jewish people to the city where our Temple once stood, the city that has been the spiritual lifeblood of millions of Jews throughout the Diaspora.”
Jerusalem, said Porush, was not only the capital by law but also “the beating heart of the nation.”
“This is where the Temple once stood, the place to which we direct our prayers three times a day. In moments of celebration, we elevate Jerusalem to the height of our joy, while never forgetting the profound sorrow from which we have yet to heal,” he said.
“We extend our hands and pledge to help as much as possible to bring about the establishment of additional embassies in Jerusalem,” he continued. “This is the order of the day, to bring about international recognition of our right to live in peace in the city of Jerusalem. Our hope is that our activity will be met with immediate action from the world.”
One of the highlights of Jerusalem Day is the annual Flag March through the capital. Despite the ongoing war with Hamas, the parade received approval to take its usual route from the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, continuing into the Old City via Damascus Gate and ending at the Western Wall.
The event featured a strong presence of youths waving Israeli flags and singing nationalist songs, and was closely monitored by security forces due to potential friction near Muslim areas of the city.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount to mark the occasion, where he “prayed for victory in the war, the return of all our hostages, and the success of the incoming Shin Bet chief—Maj. Gen. David Zini.”
Ben-Gvir was flanked by Israeli Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer during the visit.
Knesset member Zvi Sukkot also visited the Temple Mount, and posted a video of himself prostrating and waving an Israeli flag. “The Temple Mount is in our hands,” he declared in Hebrew.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion stressed to JNS that Jerusalem has been the spiritual capital of the Jewish people for three millennia.
“The fact that more and more embassies are choosing to establish themselves here is a moral and just step,” he said. “In these trying times, it is clear to everyone who stands by us. Together we will continue to strengthen Jerusalem’s status as the united and eternal capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”