‘You Will Never Walk Alone’: In Show of Support, Paraguay’s President Reopens Embassy in Jerusalem
In an exclusive interview, Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña said that faith and a shared history inspired his decision to reopen the embassy in Jerusalem
After more than a year in office, President of Paraguay Santiago Peña fulfilled a key campaign promise last week by reopening his country’s embassy in Jerusalem.
The decision stands out as a bold move for the small nation, particularly while Israel faces accusations of genocide and war crimes for its behavior in the ongoing war. Peña told The Media Line in an exclusive interview on Thursday that the decision to relocate the embassy “comes from all Paraguayans” and reflects a sentiment the Paraguayan people wanted him to act on “with or without the war.”
Peña, who assumed office on August 15, 2023, said that his campaign journey across Paraguay revealed strong public support for Israel. He said that Paraguayans told him they wanted the country to move its embassy in Israel back to Jerusalem.
Paraguay established its embassy in Jerusalem in 2018 under then-President Horacio Cartes. It was the third country after the United States and Guatemala to open an embassy in Jerusalem, Israel’s contested capital city. Peña, who served as finance minister at the time, said that he was “very happy to see” Cartes take the step. However, just months later, a new administration came to power and reversed the decision, moving the embassy back to Tel Aviv.
Peña said that the reversal was not driven by diplomatic considerations but by “revenge, an internal revenge, nothing to do with the people of Israel.” The move sparked a diplomatic crisis, leading Israel to close its embassy in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción. Relations began to mend only recently, with Israel reopening its embassy there in September.
“A lot of people talk, but not many people act. For us, saying and doing is very important,” Peña said. He said that he was in Israel representing the millions of Paraguayans who voted for him in support of his pro-Israel policy.
Peña’s foreign minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, told The Media Line that reopening the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem was Peña’s top priority upon taking office.
During a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, Peña said that the embassy move could be seen as a show of support for Israel during a difficult period.
President of Paraguay Santiago Peña meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, Dec. 11, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
“This is a moral obligation that the Paraguayan people have asked us to do, and we feel that we are bringing the hearts and feelings of more than 6 million Paraguayans,” he said. “They feel so close or attached to the people of Israel. So for us, this is really a tipping point in our own history.”
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This is a moral obligation that the Paraguayan people have asked us to do
Approximately 98% of Paraguay’s population is Catholic, and many relate to Jews as their “older brothers,” Peña said.
“Paraguay is also a country that faced extermination,” Peña added. “But we survived, and now stand with other countries who face similar threats.”
In the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870), Paraguay faced an existential threat from the combined forces of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, who sought to destroy the country. During that war, Catholic churches donated their church bells to be melted down into ammunition for the war effort, Peña said during a visit to the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem on Thursday.
He said that that history led Paraguay to support Israel and other countries facing threats, such as Taiwan.
Paraguay is one of only 12 nations that recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. While Israel does not officially recognize Taiwan, the two countries maintain economic and cultural ties. Israel has operated an Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei since 1993.
Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano highlighted shared values between Israel and Paraguay, such as freedom, democracy, and human rights. He said that moving the embassy to the Har Hotzvim high-tech industrial park in Jerusalem is also part of an effort to expand collaboration with Israel.
Peña said that the embassy move could turn the “very good relations” between Israel and Paraguay into “great relations.” “We want to create more substance in our partnership, focusing on the transfer of knowledge, technology, and innovation,” he said.
He emphasized Paraguay’s potential assets as a partner, citing its young population and abundant natural resources. “There’s so much that Israel has developed that can be implemented and applied in Paraguay,” he said.
On Thursday, Peña met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the embassy’s opening ceremony and invited Netanyahu to visit Paraguay. Later, Peña and Netanyahu attended a festive reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where several memorandums of understanding and bilateral agreements were signed. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced plans to lead a delegation to Asunción to deepen bilateral relations, which would include representatives from Israel’s private sector.
President of Paraguay Santiago Peña (R) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Dec. 12, 2024. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Peña was presented with the Friends of Zion Award at an event attended by 250 distinguished guests from both countries. Among those present were the speaker of the Parliament of Paraguay, the Paraguayan ambassador to Israel, and the ambassadors of Argentina, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil. Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, Minister of Culture Miki Zohar, Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Yosef, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, and MK Boaz Bismuth also attended.
President of Paraguay Santiago Peña receives the Friends of Zion award, Dec. 12, 2024. (Yossi Zamir/Friends of Zion)
In a speech, Rabbi Yosef urged Peña to advocate for the release of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza and to continue defending Israel diplomatically.
“Please speak with a strong voice,” he implored.
Peña used his address to reflect on Paraguay’s steadfast support for Israel.
During the sunny days, everybody wants to join the party, but it’s only in hard times that we know who we can count on
“During the sunny days, everybody wants to join the party, but it’s only in hard times that we know who we can count on,” he said. “We were not alone in the past, and today you are not alone. Today, you will never walk alone. You will always have the people of Paraguay next to you.”
Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano called on other nations to follow Paraguay’s lead. “Now, you are all invited to follow us,” he said of Paraguay’s decision to move its embassy.
