April 29, 2025 — New York, New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC) has honored Paraguayan President Santiago Peña with the AJC Gesher Award for bolstering his nation’s enduring friendship with the Jewish people and Israel, including moving his country’s Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and designating Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
Peña, who has been president since 2023, was presented with the award at AJC Global Forum in New York. The award—Gesher is Hebrew for bridge—celebrates the efforts of individuals and organizations who promote positive relationships and build bridges between Jewish and Latino communities.
The award was established in 2008 by the AJC Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA). Past recipients include King Felipe VI of Spain and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
“Paraguay has been a steadfast, long-time friend of Israel and the Jewish people, and President Peña has taken this relationship to new levels,” said BILLA Director Dina Siegel Vann. “He has become a hemispheric and global champion of our shared causes—speaking unequivocally and with moral clarity against antisemitism and terrorism, especially now, at this critical juncture for Jews everywhere. We are thrilled to honor him and hope that his example of true leadership resonates throughout the rest of the world.”
Fulfilling a campaign promise, Peña returned the Paraguayan embassy to Jerusalem last December, calling it a “moral obligation” and a “tipping point in our own history.” He has also ratified his country’s designation of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organizations and expressed full-fledged solidarity with Israel after the October 7, 2023, attacks.
“Paraguay is here to say, we are with you, our dear friends. We will not abandon Israel,” Pena told AJC Global Forum.
Paraguay has long been a supporter of the Jewish people and Israel. It welcomed a wave of Jews from Poland and Ukraine in the 1920s and European Jews fleeing the Nazis a decade later. It was among the nations that voted to create the State of Israel at the UN in 1947 and has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1949. It currently has a Jewish population of approximately 1,000.
“This recognition by such a prominent Jewish organization symbolizes not only the bridge of friendship between Paraguay and the global Jewish community, but also the values of coexistence, mutual respect, and democratic cooperation that we share,” said Humberto Ismajovich, President of the Paraguayan Jewish Community. “President Peña has demonstrated a deep commitment to fostering dialogue and standing firmly against antisemitism and hatred in all its forms and to supporting Israel.”
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
