Right-wing President Paz reverses 2023 rupture over Gaza war.
On Tuesday, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz restored diplomatic relations with Israel, which had been severed in 2023 as a result of Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip.
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Bolivian Foreign Affairs Minister Fernando Aramayo and Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar formalized the restoration of relations with the signing of an agreement at the Israeli ambassador’s residence in Washington.
Both countries agreed to a “full restoration of relations” and the upcoming appointment of ambassadors to their respective capitals, Sa’ar said during the ceremony.
“Today we put an end to a long and unnecessary chapter of separation between our two sister nations,” Sa’ar added, noting that since 2009, except for a brief period between 2019 and 2023, the two countries had not maintained relations.
“We have a common enemy and we need to face it.”
Francesca Albanese spoke at the Doha Forum, saying the recent ceasefire is being used by Israel to continue the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and suppress Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
She called Palestine a “wake up… pic.twitter.com/eXvrn4Rf9W
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 8, 2025
Aramayo, for his part, said the new Bolivian government is “aware” of the challenges ahead and that, to confront them, it “needs the right friends,” referring to Israel. He also encouraged Israelis to visit Bolivia, which no longer requires them to obtain a visa.
In October 2023, then-President Luis Arce broke relations with Israel, calling the military offensive on Gaza “aggressive and disproportionate,” and repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinian cause.
Rodrigo Paz, who took office on Nov. 8 and ended 20 years of leftist governments in Bolivia, has said he will prioritize international relations with countries “that have democracy as a principle.” In October, a day after Paz was elected president in the second round, Minister Sa’ar spoke with him by phone and conveyed Israel’s desire to open a “new chapter” and “fully renew” diplomatic relations.
In early December, the Paz administration lifted the visa requirement for Israeli visitors, a rule established in 2014 during the government of Evo Morales (2006–2019), who considered Israel a “terrorist state” because of its actions in Gaza.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Bolivia: Digital violence, an increasingly common form of aggression against children and adolescents, has been classified as a crime punishable by 3 to 15 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/cFqHJF8DQM
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 30, 2025
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Source: EFE
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