Israeli President Isaac Herzog met on Wednesday with his Paraguayan counterpart, Santiago Peña, at the Jerusalem Residence, where he thanked him for reopening his country's embassy in the holy city, a decision of great political significance.
“We are very excited to be inaugurating the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem, our holy city, our united city, the eternal capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” Herzog said alongside Peña before the meeting began.
The Israeli president also said that together they are fighting against anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
Peña, for his part, defended the new transfer of the Paraguayan Embassy to Jerusalem not only as a gesture of support for Israel, but as “a moral obligation of the Paraguayan people.”
On May 21, 2018, then-President of Paraguay Horacio Cartés moved the embassy to Jerusalem, following the political initiative started by Donald Trump from the United States.
On September 5, the new president, Mario Abdo Benítez, had taken her back to Tel Aviv.
“We have developed a sense of hope and friendship, as well as standing by our friends, that is why for us, despite being a sign of support for Israel, this is a testament to who we are,” Peña said at the presidential residence.
On the other hand, Herzog assured the Paraguayan leader that his visit and the transfer of the Embassy “mean the world to Israel,” in a year in which, he said, the country has “lost sons and daughters” and “hostages in the dungeons of Gaza.”
Today, 96 of the 251 people kidnapped by Hamas in the attacks of October 7, 2023, remain in the Gaza Strip, of whom at least 34 are dead.
The transfer of the Paraguayan embassy to Jerusalem has been one of the key commitments of Peña Nieto, who, during his electoral campaign, had already announced that he would reestablish his country's diplomatic relations with Israel.
In addition to his visit to Herzog, the Paraguayan president will give a speech in the Knesset (Parliament) on Wednesday, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
Agencies contributed to this Aurora article