RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — The president-elect of Guatemala called for the end of “the attacks in which our brothers, the people of Israel, are being victimized.”
Alejandro Giammattei condemned the more than 300 rockets fired by Palestinian terror groups on southern and central Israel on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Spanish-language agency AJN reported.
“We stand in solidarity with the people affected by these hostilities,” he said through his official Twitter account, followed by a thank you reply message posted by Israel’s ambassador, Mattanya Cohen. “We call for peace and sanity to stop violence and guarantee the life and the integrity of the population.”
In August, Israelis Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Giammattei after the conservative, pro-Israel politician was elected in a runoff.
“He is a friend of Israel, and I am convinced that together we will strengthen the excellent cooperation between the countries,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
During the campaign, Giammattei of the Vamos (Let’s Go) party, promised to keep Guatemala’s embassy in Jerusalem and act against the terrorist organizations. The embassy was moved in May 2018, one day after the United States made the same move.
