​(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)
 
President Reuven Rivlin met today (Wednesday, 16 May 2018), with the President of Guatemala. Jimmy Ernesto Morales Cabrera, who arrived with a distinguished delegation to open his state's embassy in Jerusalem. The President of Guatemala was accompanied by the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Mrs. Sandra Erica Jovel Polanco, President of Congress, Alvaro Arzu Escobar, and President of the Supreme Court, Mr. Jose Antonio Pineda Barales.
 
In his opening remarks, President Rivlin spoke on the situation on the border with Gaza and said, “Hamas sends terrorists to sabotage the border and provoke Israel, it uses children, women and civilians to serve as a live shield against the IDF”. The President continued, “The Israel Defense Forces is our people's army – our children and our grandchildren are IDF soldiers who defend their homes, their parents' homes, and their younger brothers and sisters. Any country would have dealt uncompromisingly against such attempts of invasion. The countries of the world would not dare say to a country whose neighbor wants to invade that it should not defend itself from such an invasion. The events that lead to the death of people on the other side are the fault of Hamas, which uses innocent people to cause harm to Israel. It is our duty to protect our citizens. We know that Hamas knows how to kidnap Israeli citizens and soldiers – and it is not only our right, but our duty to do everything we can to protect our homeland and its borders.”
 
The President once again thanked the President of Guatemala and said, “I am pleased to welcome you – you are a true friend of Israel. I would like to thank the Foreign Minister of your country, who does a great deal to strengthen ties and relations between the two countries, and we thank her for her work.”
 
The President of Guatemala thanked the President for his words and warm welcome, and noted that he was accompanied on his visit to Israel by the heads of the authorities representing democracy in his country – the President of the Congress and President of the Supreme Court. He said, “The presence of our three authorities here attests to the importance of the event that took place today, the inauguration of the embassy in Jerusalem, and we are convinced that others will follow this new path of peace and prosperity.”