Santiago Peña Palacios the president of Paraguay. (Twitter Screenshot)
Paraguay has long maintained deep ties with Israel, tracing back to when it voted in favor to establish the Jewish state at the UN in 1947.
Paraguay is set to become the sixth country with an embassy in Jerusalem.
In a highly anticipated ceremony this coming Wednesday, President Santiago Pena will demonstrate his nation’s unwavering support for Israel by restoring their diplomatic mission to its rightful place in the Jewish people’s eternal capital.
The two-day diplomatic visit will kick off with Pena addressing the Knesset, where he’ll meet with Israel’s leadership including Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog.
On Thursday, he will inaugurate his country’s embassy in Har Hotzvim industrial park. Families of victims from the October 7 Hamas massacre are expected to be in attendance.
Paraguay has long maintained deep ties with Israel, tracing back to when it voted in favor to establish the Jewish state at the UN in 1947.
During his own presidential campaign, the South American leader expressed strong support for moving his embassy to Jerusalem.
“The State of Israel recognizes Jerusalem as its capital. The seat of the parliament is in Jerusalem, the president is in Jerusalem. So who are we to question where they establish their own capital?”
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who recently inaugurated Israel’s embassy in Asunción, praised Paraguay’s steadfast support.
“About three months ago, I had the honor of inaugurating the Israeli embassy in Paraguay,” Ohana said in comments cited by Hebrew media. “In a moving ceremony, we affixed the mezuzah from the house where Sivan Elkabetz and Naor Hasidim were murdered on October 7.”
“Paraguay’s president will inaugurate the embassy in Jerusalem. Shimon, Sivan’s father; Avi, Naor’s father; and Elhanan Danino—the father of Uri, who was kidnapped from the Nova party and was murdered—will attend,” he said.
“Avi and Elhanan joined me on my recent visit to Paraguay, and like me, they felt the president’s embracing and sympathetic attitude towards the State of Israel and support for its existential struggle.”
While most countries still maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, Paraguay’s courage in recognition paves the way for more countries to follow.
Currently, only the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea have embassies in Jerusalem.
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