Czech news in brief for May 20: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

Good afternoon/early evening (depending on when you're reading), this is Jules, Expats.cz's news editor, and welcome to the first edition of the Evening Edition – a recap of today's top stories curated with a little added context to understand what happened in Czechia today. Don't forget to take our daily quiz to put your knowledge of Czech culture and current events to the test.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is back in Prague today to strengthen political and economic ties with the Czech Republic. "We know that the Czech Republic is a true friend of Israel," Sa'ar – who flew over with more than 50 Israeli companies in tow - said after meeting with his Czech counterpart Petr Macinka at the Černín Palace. A Czech-Israeli business forum is also being organized on the sidelines of his visit, with possible areas of cooperation including healthcare and cybersecurity.

The embassy question. Macinka also vowed Czechia's virtually unconditional support, promising to block any attempts at the EU level to impose trade or political sanctions on Israel, and saying he hoped the Czech Republic would move its embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem before the end his term.

The wider context. Macinka isn't the first to back the controversial embassy relocation, with multiple Czech politicians already floating the idea in the past. Just a handful of countries have official embassies in the Holy City, including of course the United States, as well as smaller countries like Honduras, Guatemala or Papua New Guinea.

A love affair. Sa'ar didn't go on much of a limb calling his hosts a true friend. The Czech Republic has consistently been one of Israel's closest partners in Europe – a position shared across most of the political spectrum, and criticized by some as overly accommodating, including in light of Israel's military campaigns in Gaza or Lebanon.

Is the honeymoon over? As the three-party government made up of ANO, the SPD and the Motorists approaches its six-month anniversary, signs of division and infighting are growing more frequent.

Who'll blink first? Prime Minister Andrej Babiš picked a candidate to become Czechia's next army chief with whom Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna (an SPD nominee) has notoriously bad relations. Zůna even threatened to resign over the matter, but seems to be staying on for now. The Prime Minister also issued a public reprimand against Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (a Motorist appointee) over the controversial reform of public media funding.

Brno will indeed host the congress organized annually by the Sudeten German Association from Thursday to next Monday, marking the first time this event will be held in the Czech Republic in its more than 70-year history.

Was meinst du? Hailed by some as a historic opportunity to promote reconciliation and mutual understanding, the congress has also attracted its fair share of criticism from those who argue it constitutes a provocation bound to reopen old wounds. Some protests are expected this week with dozens of police officers maintaining public order.

Czech video game studio Warhorse Studios, known for the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, is preparing the next installment of the world-famous game, as well as another set in the fantasy world of Lord of the Rings. Details about the upcoming games are scarce for now, but anticipation is high among both gamers and LOTR fans.

Bright yellow rapeseed fields have begun blooming across Czechia, marking the start of one of the country’s most recognizable agricultural seasons. How well do you actually know what’s growing across the Czech countryside? Test your knowledge of Czechia’s blooming fields with our quick true-or-false quiz.