Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar today (Sunday, 8 February 2026) hosted Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay Rubén Ramírez Lezcano at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. Following their meeting, the two delivered statements to the press.
FM Sa’ar on Gaza: “We both support the Trump Plan in Gaza. Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza must be demilitarized. This is at the heart of the plan and must not be compromised on. This is necessary for the security and stability of the region – and also for a better future for the people of Gaza themselves.”
FM Sa’ar on Iran: “I praise President Pena’s decision in April 2025, to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terror organization. Recently, the European Union and Ukraine did so too, and I commend also these steps. The Iranian regime is murdering its own people. It destabilizes the Middle East. It spreads terror to other continents, including Latin America. The attempt by the most extreme regime in the world to obtain the most dangerous weapon in the world – a nuclear weapon – is a clear danger to peace in the region and the world. The huge amount of long-range ballistic missiles that the Iranian regime seeks to produce endangers Israel – but not just her. The regime already used missiles against other countries in the Middle East. European states are also threatened by the range of these missiles. Lebanon cannot realize its sovereignty because of the presence of the Hezbollah terror army – funded by Iran – on its own soil. This is also the case in Yemen and Iraq. On their soil too – there are terror armies and armed militias – funded and armed by the Iranian regime.”
FM Sa’ar’s full remarks:
“I want to welcome my dear friend, Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, to Jerusalem.
I thank you for hosting me in Asuncion last November.
I appreciate the honor I received of addressing a joint session of Paraguay’s National Assembly.
Your mutual visit today – and our close, ongoing dialogue – reflects the special bond between Israel and Paraguay.
Paraguay is one of Israel’s greatest friends in the world.
It has a clear moral dimension in its foreign policy.
We commend President Peña for his decision to move Paraguay’s embassy back to Jerusalem in December 2024.
We appreciate Paraguay’s consistent, strong, moral support for Israel in multilateral forums.
Thank you for standing clearly by the truth.
We appreciate the moral decision by Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies to adopt IHRA’s definition of antisemitism.
Paraguay widened its terror organization designation to include the “political” wings of Hamas, and Hezbollah.
I also praise President Pena’s decision in April 2025, to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terror organization.
Recently, the European Union and Ukraine did so too, and I commend also these steps.
The Iranian regime is murdering its own people.
It destabilizes the Middle East.
It spreads terror to other continents, including Latin America.
The attempt by the most extreme regime in the world to obtain the most dangerous weapon in the world – a nuclear weapon – is a clear danger to peace in the region and the world.
The huge amount of long-range ballistic missiles that the Iranian regime seeks to produce endangers Israel – but not just her.
The regime already used missiles against other countries in the Middle East.
European states are also threatened by the range of these missiles.
Lebanon cannot realize its sovereignty because of the presence of the Hezbollah terror army – funded by Iran – on its own soil.
This is also the case in Yemen and Iraq. On their soil too – there are terror armies and armed militias – funded and armed by the Iranian regime.
*
Dear Minister,
We both support the Trump Plan in Gaza.
Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza must be demilitarized.
This is at the heart of the plan and must not be compromised on.
This is necessary for the security and stability of the region – and also for a better future for the people of Gaza themselves.
*
Dear Minister, Mi Amigo,
In December 2024, you came with President Peña to open Paraguay’s embassy in Jerusalem.
It’s an honor to welcome you back here, to David’s Capital.
This is a long-term strategic partnership between both our states.
We’re strengthening it across many fields.
We recently signed an MOU on security cooperation.
In my visit to Asuncion, I was accompanied by a business-economic delegation.
We’re seeing the results, including mutual visits by business leaders and more economic initiatives.
We want to invest in each other’s economies and I know, Minister, we’ll get a lot more done.
Muchas Gracias!”
Related Topics
