Paraguay’s ambassador to Israel is working to turn his country’s strong political support for Israel into something more tangible: growing trade, practical cooperation and greater familiarity between the two countries.
In Paraguayan Ambassador to Israel Talks Beef and Backpackers, The Media Line’s Gabriel Colodro speaks with Ambassador Alejandro Rubin Cymerman about a relationship stretching from supermarket meat counters to water management, security and tourism.
Beef provides one of the clearest signs of growth. Rubin said Paraguayan exports to Israel reached $220 million in 2025 and could approach $300 million this year, up from $88 million in 2023. He has personally encouraged Israeli retailers to display Paraguay’s flag beside the meat so consumers know where it comes from.
The relationship extends well beyond trade. Paraguay and Israel have signed at least five memorandums of understanding covering water, innovation, defense, and technology. Water cooperation has progressed furthest, with Israeli experts visiting Paraguay to assess how the country manages its abundant supplies.
Rubin also discusses the political relationship, including Paraguay’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, its return to Tel Aviv later that year, and President Santiago Peña’s restoration of the Jerusalem embassy in December 2024. His goal now is to build ties strong enough to survive future changes of government.
And then there are the backpackers. Rubin wants young Israelis traveling through Latin America to start putting Paraguay on their itineraries. He pitches an affordable destination with good food and abundant nature, along with something particularly important for Israeli travelers: the freedom to be openly Israeli.
Colodro’s report offers a closer look at Rubin’s effort to transform a diplomatic alliance into a relationship that Israelis and Paraguayans encounter in commerce, institutions, and everyday life.
