“Serbia will not move its embassy to Jerusalem if Israel recognizes Kosovo as an independent country,” according to the source, who has close knowledge of the agreements signed in Washington. “Moreover, this move by Israel would harm the otherwise intimate relationship between Israel and Serbia and it will never be the same. It’s that simple.”

The source added that “many have argued that Israel recognizing Kosovo would be akin to countries unilaterally recognizing ‘Palestine.’”

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade considers it to be an autonomous zone. Israel did not recognize Kosovo for over a decade, out of concern for damaging strong ties with Serbia and for setting a precedent for recognition of a Palestinian state.