BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – There is nothing that can prevent the State of Israel from setting up a diplomatic office in Eswatini.
This was said by Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo. Nxumalo said actually, such a development could enable an existence of a diplomatic status quo that once existed before. Nxumalo stated that a country was guided by certain principles when picking its diplomatic allies.
“When countries pick up diplomatic allies, they are guided by their own particular strategic national interests primarily. This is a sole preserve or privilege of only the two States involved in establishing those diplomatic relations,” Nxumalo said.
He described Israel as a full-time member of the United Nations (UN) and they participated fully even during the recently-ended UNGA 2024 in New York, United States of America (USA). According to Nxumalo, the implications of the UNGA participation is that any other member of the UN can establish diplomatic relations with the State of Israel.
Therefore, Israel can have a resident office in the country, like any other country around the world, according to Nxumalo. That will depend on how the conversations proceed between the Kingdom of Eswatini and the State of Israel.
“There is absolutely nothing that can prevent Israel to set-up a diplomatic office in the country. Actually, it will return to a diplomatic status – quo which once existed before,” Nxumalo said.
