Guatemala follows U.S. to Jerusalem By Monica Showalter Please see note
Apparently, there was nothing fake or merely symbolic about Guatemala’s support for the U.S. moving its embassy to Jerusalem in its United Nations vote last week. Guatemala is moving its own embassy to Jerusalem, too.
According to the New York Post:
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala’s president announced on Christmas Eve that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first nation to follow the lead of U.S. President Donald Trump in ordering the change.
Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted with the United States and Israel on Thursday when the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding resolution denouncing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
It’s enough to turn heads about the tiny Central American nation and give it our salute.
Because it’s rather courageous to be the first to follow the U.S. in places such as the United Nations. Guatemala’s act suggests it wasn’t just looking for goodies from the U.S. when it cast that vote, it really wanted to acknowledge the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
Its president, Jimmy Morales, said as much, in his Christmas eve announcement of the event:
“Guatemala is historically pro-Israeli,” he said in Guatemala City. “In 70 years of relations, Israel has been our ally. We have a Christian way of thinking that, as well as the politics of it, has us believing that Israel is our ally and we must support it.
“Despite us only being nine in the world (in the UN vote), we have the total certainty and conviction that this is the right path.”
It’s true Guatemala would probably like some development help from Israel but just the fact that they are reaching out for it and not whining about something or other speaks well for them. A willingness to learn from Israel means a nation passes the Israel Test, as the brilliant George Gilder wrote of in his excellent book. Guatemala passes. Another reason too take a second look at Guatemala.
Citing the Christian ethos in making the move is interesting, too. It always strikes Americans as a no-brainer to support Israel as an expression of its Christian values. Israel has God’s chosen people and Israel is the promised land, so hating Israel is pretty much the same thing as hating God. One wonders how some of these people who think otherwise intend to explain themselves to God at the Last Judgment. To the rest of us, it’s just obvious.
And to the Guatemalans, it’s obvious, too.
Here’s a toast to the tiny nation that does more than just symbolic votes – and may many more nations follow.
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