Paraguay will move its embassy to Jerusalem and Israel has reopened its diplomatic representation in Asuncion

president of paraguay, Santiago PenaToday, Tuesday, he announced on his account X (formerly Twitter) that his country’s embassy in Israel will move there again. JerusalemAfter an interview in New York with the Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin NetanyahuThis is in parallel with his participation in the United Nations General Assembly.

Paraguay’s decision was immediately welcomed by Netanyahu, who thanked him on his own account (formerly Twitter) and announced that Israel was reopening its embassy in Asuncion.

“Fruitful meeting with President Santiago Peña today. We are grateful for Paraguay’s decision to return its embassy to Jerusalem before the end of the year. At the same time, Israel will reopen its embassy in the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion.”

Moving the Paraguayan embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was one of the campaign promises made by Peña, who was invited by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, to visit Israel to attend the opening ceremony of this new Paraguayan diplomatic mission.

On August 15, Cohen visited Paraguay on the occasion of Peña’s inauguration as president of the South American country, and on this occasion he met with the incoming president.

This was the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Latin America in more than a decade.

One day after the meeting in Asuncion, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Paraguay will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this year. In addition, the Jewish state will reopen its embassy in Asuncion.

Paraguay previously moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2018 during Paraguay’s presidency. Horacio Cartes (2013 – 2018), before his successor, Mario Abdo Benitez (2018-2023), he reversed the decision and returned the diplomatic headquarters to Tel Aviv months later.

Due to Abdo’s decision, Israel closed its embassy in Asuncion, and later cited budgetary reasons for not reopening it.

This led to diplomatic friction between the two countries and prompted Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to close its embassy in Asuncion.

Israel, which considers Jerusalem its “eternal and indivisible” capital, does not recognize Tel Aviv as its capital, and has been trying for years to court many friendly countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem.

Among the countries that moved their embassies in implementation of Israel’s wishes are Guatemala and Honduras, in addition to the United States, which in 2018 violated the international consensus by considering Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moving its embassy to that city, where there are no diplomatic missions. After Israel’s annexation – in 1980 – of the occupied eastern part of Palestine, against United Nations resolutions.

On the other hand, Uruguay announced in August that it would open a diplomatic office in Jerusalem to strengthen cooperation in the field of innovation with Israel.

He points out that “Uruguay is one of Israel’s most important friends in Latin America, and President Luis Lacalle Pou’s decision to open an innovation office in Jerusalem will strengthen relations between countries and economic and trade relations between us.” Statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(With information from EFE)