{"id":132732,"date":"2026-08-10T17:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T15:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=132732"},"modified":"2026-08-07T07:19:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T05:19:41","slug":"07-05-124","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=132732","title":{"rendered":"Chile, Honduras restore ambassadors to Israel as six new envoys present credentials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Chile, Honduras restore ambassadors to Israel as six new envoys present credentials<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Sharon Altshul<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The Chilean envoy told JNS his appointment marks \u201can emotional moment\u201d for him and signals a renewed commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomes Chilean Ambassador Gabriel Alejandro Zaliasnik Schilkurt after he presented his diplomatic credentials at the President\u2019s Residence in Jerusalem, Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by Oz Schechter.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Chile and Honduras officially restored ambassadorial representation to Israel on Monday, as six new ambassadors presented their diplomatic credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

The presidential welcome for Chilean Ambassador Gabriel Alejandro Zaliasnik Schilkurt and Honduran Ambassador Jos\u00e9 Luis N\u00fa\u00f1ez Bennet was particularly warm, marking the first time both countries have had ambassadors in Israel since relations cooled following the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

The restoration of ambassadorial-level ties is especially significant because both Chile and Honduras have sizable Palestinian communities. In Chile, home to the largest Palestinian population outside the Arab world, the issue has long influenced foreign policy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking to JNS after the ceremony, Zaliasnik described his appointment as \u201can emotional moment\u201d for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Chilean and a member of the Jewish community, I am honored to be appointed by the president of Chile to be ambassador to Israel and to strengthen the relationship with Israel,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

After what he called \u201cthe strain of the last couple of years,\u201d Zaliasnik said his mission is to rebuild bilateral ties while serving all of Chilean society.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, as a proud Chilean Zionist, I have a special honor to bring with me the commitment of our President Jos\u00e9 Antonio Kast to reengage, reconstruct and rebuild our strong historic relations,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcoming the Chilean ambassador, Herzog said the appointment fulfilled a commitment made to him by Chile\u2019s president during his recent visit to Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my excellent meeting with President Kast in May, he informed me that he would shortly be returning Chile\u2019s ambassador to Israel,\u201d Herzog said. \u201cI am now delighted to welcome Ambassador Zaliasnik here in Israel, who comes with a message on behalf of all Chileans to increase ties with Israel. This is a milestone in our relations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In a private meeting following the credential ceremony, Herzog hailed the return of Chile\u2019s ambassador as \u201ca milestone\u201d in bilateral relations and revealed that he had played a personal role in helping to restore diplomatic representation through discussions with Chile\u2019s president, foreign minister and senior members of the Chilean government.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really honored to have you here,\u201d Herzog told Zaliasnik. \u201cYour arrival here represents a milestone in the relations between Israel and Chile, and I had the great honor of being part of this process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Acknowledging the political sensitivities surrounding the appointment and opposition among certain elements in Chile, Herzog added: \u201cI know it\u2019s not easy. I know that you had bad people trying to undermine this appointment, and we are honored and pleased to have you here in our midst in the Holy Land representing the Republic of Chile.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The president asked the ambassador to convey his \u201cwarmest regards and gratitude\u201d to Kast, describing him as \u201ca very honorable leader\u201d and expressing hope that the Chilean president and his wife would visit Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Herzog said the two had held in-depth discussions about faith and the Bible during their meeting in Chile, adding that many Chileans share those values. He also said he hoped to make a reciprocal visit to Chile, noting the affection many Israelis have for the South American nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking in Hebrew during the ceremony, Zaliasnik received applause from those in attendance. He also introduced his wife, Elisheva, noting that he had previously served as president of the Jewish Community of Chile.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the official guest book, he described Chile and Israel as two \u201clands of poets,\u201d referencing Chilean Nobel laureate Gabriela Mistral and Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai.<\/span><\/p>\n

A handwritten message by Chilean Ambassador Gabriel Alejandro Zaliasnik Schilkurt in the official guest book at the President\u2019s Residence in Jerusalem after presenting his diplomatic credentials, Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by Sharon Altshul.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Herzog also welcomed the return of Honduras\u2019s ambassador, noting that Honduras now has its embassy in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my recent meeting with my good friend President [Nasry] Asfura of Honduras, I was delighted to hear that Honduras would soon be returning its ambassador to Israel,\u201d Herzog said. \u201cI am now pleased to receive the diplomatic credentials of Ambassador Jos\u00e9 Luis N\u00fa\u00f1ez Bennet, as the relations between Israel and Honduras continue to reach new heights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The president thanked Honduras for maintaining its embassy in Jerusalem and expressed hope that the ambassador would establish his official residence in the capital as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nNigerian Ambassador Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu presents her diplomatic credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the President\u2019s Residence in Jerusalem, Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by Sharon Altshul.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The other ambassadors presenting credentials at the President\u2019s Residence were Alexander Graf Lambsdorff of Germany, Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu of Nigeria, Beka Dvali of Georgia and Saman Kumar Chandrasiri of Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcoming Germany\u2019s new envoy, Herzog described the relationship between the two countries as \u201crooted in a painful history\u201d that has developed into \u201ca strong and vibrant partnership across so many fields.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

During the ceremony, Herzog presented Lambsdorff with a white cap bearing the Israeli and German flags.<\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing regional developments, Herzog also commented on diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI see a lot of positive elements in the efforts of the Board of Peace, under the auspices of President Trump and his leadership,\u201d he said, adding that any future arrangement must include the complete disarmament of Hamas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the ceremonies, Herzog said he hoped to visit South America in the future as Israel seeks to deepen ties with countries across the continent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The presentation of credentials formally marked the beginning of the ambassadors\u2019 service in Israel<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chile, Honduras restore ambassadors to Israel as six new envoys present credentials Sharon Altshul The Chilean envoy told JNS his appointment marks \u201can emotional moment\u201d for him and signals a renewed commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomes Chilean Ambassador Gabriel Alejandro Zaliasnik Schilkurt after he presented his diplomatic credentials at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[33,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132732"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=132732"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132827,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132732\/revisions\/132827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=132732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=132732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=132732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}