Paraguay becomes Third Nation to Move Embassy to Jerusalem

Following the lead of the United States, Paraguay became the third nation to move its embassy in Israel to its capital, Jerusalem. The official move and dedication took place on Monday with the participation of Paraguay’s President Horacio Cartes and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Addressing the crowd, Cartes declared, “Our friendship is based on shared values, such as democracy, tolerance and dignity, lack of discrimination and peaceful coexistence.” Netanyahu replied, saying, “You’re an amazing friend to Israel. Under your leadership, Paraguay made courageous moves in the international arena and refused to take part in the lies against Israel. It’s time we do a lot more together and increase the cooperation between us. We’ve been discussing water, agriculture, security, and we are doing and want to do more.” As it had done when the American and Guatemalan embassies were dedicated in Jerusalem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority issued a harsh rebuke, alleging Paraguay to be in violation of “UN resolutions and international law.” The statement averred Paraguay’s action in moving the embassy to be “aggression towards the Palestinian people and their rights.”