Guatemala will recognize Jerusalem’s City of David and the heritage uncovered at the archaeological site as part of its national inheritance and foundational ideals during a ceremony on Friday morning, the City of David Foundation announced.
The Central American country will become the third nation to install a commemorative plaque at the City of David National Park, following similar initiatives by the United States and Argentina.
The plaque, signed by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, will be unveiled on his behalf by Guatemala’s Ambassador to Israel, Ava Atzum Arévalo Triboullier de Moscoso.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are scheduled to attend the ceremony, alongside Guatemalan dignitaries and members of the country’s Congress.
Inscribed in English and Spanish, the plaque describes the City of David as the site where Jerusalem’s earliest communities were established and links its history to the longstanding relationship between Guatemala and Israel.
Plaque highlights historic ties between Guatemala and Israel
“The City of David, site of Biblical Jerusalem, preserves the origins of a millennia-old history,” the inscription reads. “From this place, where Jerusalem’s earliest communities were formed, the historic bond between Guatemala and Israel is evoked, forged upon respect, memory, and friendship between peoples.”
“Guatemala honors the cultural heritage and the continuity of a civilization through time,” it concludes.
‘An essential part of humanity’s historical heritage’
Ahead of the ceremony, Arévalo de Moscoso said the archaeological remains uncovered at the site carried significance extending far beyond Israel.
“There are few places in the world where history can be experienced as directly as in the City of David,” she said. “What is revealed here is not the history of a single nation; it is the earliest chapter of a city whose history has profoundly influenced the spiritual, historical, and cultural heritage of much of humanity, including Guatemala.”
“To honor the origins of Jerusalem is also to preserve an essential part of humanity’s historical heritage,” the ambassador added. “Guatemala, a nation that understands the value of memory, recognizes the profound significance that this history holds for humanity and the special place it occupies in the memory of our people.”
Guatemala recognition highlights Jerusalem’s significance for nations around the world
David Be’eri, an Israel Prize laureate and chairman of the City of David Foundation, said Guatemala’s recognition reflected the biblical vision of Jerusalem as a city with meaning for nations around the world.
“Here in the City of David, the prophet Isaiah described a Jerusalem that would one day be a house of prayer for all nations,” Be’eri said. “Today, Guatemala has come to the place where Jerusalem began and recognized its own place in Jerusalem’s story, and how this city has shaped the Guatemalan nation.”
“Every day in the City of David, we continue unearthing a history and a heritage rich with significance for Israel and the Jewish people, and resonant with meaning for billions around the world,” he added.
The US formally recognized the City of David’s connection to American Judeo-Christian heritage through a commemorative plaque, while Argentina presented its plaque during President Javier Milei’s visit to Jerusalem in June 2025.
Guatemala has maintained close relations with Israel for decades and relocated its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. Arévalo himself studied sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before beginning his diplomatic and political career.
