Guatemalan Minister of Tourism Jorge Mario Chajon has embarked on a week-long visit to Israel and is taking the opportunity to declare his nation’s support for the Jewish state every chance he gets.
Other nations should not be “pareve” he told the Jerusalem Post, using the Hebrew word for neutral. “If countries want to be considered a friend of the state of Israel, they need to demonstrate their friendship by moving their embassy to Jerusalem. Friendships must be shown in practical terms,” he added.
After the U.S. moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in May 2018, Guatemala followed suit soon after, proudly supporting the formal recognition of the Jewish people’s eternal capital.
In addition to the embassy move, Guatemala has also worked to increase tourism, investing in one of the primary exhibition booths at this week’s International Mediterranean Tourism Market conference in Tel Aviv.
Currently, around 15,000 Israelis visit Guatemala annually, with 5,000 Guatemalans touring Israel each year, according to the Post.
In March, over 30 Guatemalan mayors will visit Israel to strengthen ties between the nations.
In the past, Israel has provided humanitarian relief to Guatemala, including sending first responders to assist in the aftermath of the eruption of the Mount Fuego volcano, which killed around 200 people. {eoa}
This article originally appeared at unitedwithisrael.org.
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