Paraguayan President: No ‘Heart and Soul’ to Relations Without Embassy in Jerusalem

Photo Credit: Eitan Elhadez-Barak / TPS-IL

Paraguay President Santiago Pena addresses the Knesset, applauded by Speaker Amir Ohana and President Isaac Herzog. Dec. 11, 2024

Visiting Paraguayan President Santiago Pena received a standing ovation at the Knesset on Wednesday as he told lawmakers he “fully supported” Israel’s war against Hamas and maintained that opening an embassy in Jerusalem was vital to bilateral ties.

Pena said he wanted to make it clear “to tell the criminals, ‘you did not win.’ There are moments when you must take a stand.”

The South American leader, who is set to inaugurate his country’s embassy in Jerusalem on Thursday, drew another standing ovation for calling the city, “the eternal capital of Israel.”

“The decision to open the embassy in this city is based on the values ​​of solidarity and brotherhood,” Pena said.

“Without an embassy in Jerusalem, diplomatic ties will not be with true heart and soul. With this transition in our friendship, there will be a beating heart, and I hope we can inspire other countries to do the same.”

Paraguay will be the sixth country to open an embassy in Jerusalem, joining the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo and Papua New Guinea.

In 2018, Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes announced plans to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem, but they were reversed by his successor, Abdo Benitez.

Most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. Several countries, mostly European, have consulates and lower-level trade missions in the Israeli capital.

Pena also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and is scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial center and museum.