Honduras president-elect expresses hope for ‘new era’ in ties with Israel

The conservative president-elect, who is of Palestinian Christian descent, said that he would receive the letter of credentials from the Israeli ambassador on his first day in office.

By Etgar Lefkovits, JNS

Honduras President-elect Nasry Asfura, during a visit to Jerusalem on Sunday, expressed hope for a “new era” in bilateral relations with Israel.

The declaration and visit to both the United States and Israel, ahead of taking office later this month, signaled a return to close ties, building on decades of friendship following the recent period of strained relations under his predecessor, who had recalled her ambassador to Israel due to the Gaza war

“We are reshaping relations between Israel and Honduras in line with the traditional bonds of friendship, but we also want to embrace the future,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Asfura, according to a readout of their meeting.

“I welcome you to Jerusalem—it is an ancient city, but it is also a city that looks to innovation and to cooperation with you and with the people of Honduras,” the prime minister continued.

Asfura responded, “I am convinced that in everything you mentioned we will be able to implement and also lead for the sake of peace, brotherhood, and the future of our countries.”

“It is a great honor for me to be in Israel again and to strengthen the ties that have been in existence over the last 77 years,” Asfura said earlier in a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at the ministry in Jerusalem.

“I hope we are entering a new era where we can improve our relations, relations of brotherhood, and prosperity of investment.”

The conservative president-elect, who is of Palestinian Christian descent, said that he would receive the letter of credentials from the Israeli ambassador on his first day in office, a posting that had been held up by the previous leftist government.

“I am certain that your election will be a turning point for Honduras,” Sa’ar told him, noting that the chill in relations between the two nations over the last several years was not representative of the decades-old friendship between the two nations.

“Latin America is undergoing significant political change,” he said. “It is returning and becoming a lighthouse for freedom and the defense of Western civilization.”

Ties that bind

Honduras recognized Israel in 1948 and over the decades consistently supported the Jewish state at the United Nations.

In 2021, Honduras moved its embassy to Jerusalem, following the United States and Guatemala, under the conservative National Party of Honduras, to which the president-elect belongs.

Over the years, Israel has been a major supplier of arms and cybersecurity to Honduras, including fighter jets for anti-drug efforts, and has provided the Central American country beset by poverty and crime with assistance and know-how in the fields of agriculture, water technology, health, and innovation.

The Honduran president-elect is also slated to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit.

The warming of relations between the two countries also follows similar recent Israeli inroads in Latin America, including in Bolivia and Chile, and burgeoning ties with Argentina under President Javier Milei.