Gabriel Colodro’s report from Paraguay’s Independence Day reception in Jerusalem begins with the expected diplomatic scene—flags, speeches, wine, and handshakes—but quickly turns into a story about a Latin American country making its friendship with Israel visible, deliberate, and hard to miss.
Ambassador Alejandro Rubin Cymerman gave the evening its clearest line. “Paraguay is in Jerusalem because it believes in Israel,” he said, adding that his country is there because it honors its word and sees friendship as something proven through action. The event brought together Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Israeli lawmakers, diplomats, and civic and religious representatives, giving the celebration the feel of a diplomatic signal wrapped inside a national birthday party.
The calendar helped carry the symbolism. Rubin connected Paraguay’s independence, which began on May 14, 1811, and was consolidated on May 15, to Israel’s declaration of independence on May 14, 1948. This year, Paraguay’s celebration also coincided with Jerusalem Day. For Rubin, those overlaps pointed to shared ideas of sovereignty, memory, identity, and national endurance.
The story is not all ceremony. Paraguay moved its embassy to Jerusalem in December 2024, and Rubin says the relationship has grown more active since then, with more visits, agreements, and economic activity. Beef exports tell part of the story: Paraguayan sales to Israel, once around $110 million a year, nearly doubled last year and could top $300 million this year if current trends continue. Paraguay also wants Israeli investors to see it as a platform for energy, water, agro-industry, technology, logistics, and services.
Sa’ar praised Paraguay as a “stable friend” and used the moment to encourage other countries to join the Jerusalem embassy trend, citing Fiji and expected moves by Somaliland.
Colodro captures a relationship built on symbols, markets, memory, and politics. At a time when Israel’s alliances are often tested in public forums, Paraguay is choosing the opposite approach: saying plainly where it stands, and putting its flag there.