Buenos Aires, Argentina — The head of the Central American Parliament is working to grant Israel observer status in the coming months, she said on Monday.
The move, which would be a major success for faith-based diplomacy, comes at a time of major Israeli inroads in the region amid a tide of Latin American countries reshaping their alliances towards the United States and Israel.
The Guatemala-based organization, founded in 1991, consists of 124 Congressmen representing 60 million people and works to foster regional integration, peace and cooperation.
“This would be an unprecedented achievement, for the State of Israel to join with observer status, and would open a new chapter for Israel in the region,” Karla Gutierrez, president of the Central American Parliament, told lawmakers in a keynote address at the Israel Allies Foundation’s Latin America Chairman’s Conference in Argentina.
The legislative body is composed of representatives from six member states: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Several other countries have observer status, including Morocco, China, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico.
The move would require a two-thirds majority vote among lawmakers.
Gutierrez told JNS that a vote confirming Israel’s entry could happen by October. “I can do it,” she said.
Gutierrez noted at the gathering of Latin American lawmakers who serve as chairs of parliamentary Israel Allies caucuses in both Central and South America that she was guided by both her faith and shared Judeo-Christian values.
“Now I know why God allowed me to be president,” she said. “It’s through a commitment to Israel.”
Israel, which has observer status in the African Union, was in the past unable to gain a foothold in the Central American Parliament like other non-regional countries due to the political forces at play, said Gutierrez.
“This imminent diplomatic breakthrough is a testament to the strength of our shared Judeo-Christian values, which is our strongest bond,” said Leopoldo Martinez, Latin American director of the Israel Allies Foundation.
“Faith-based diplomacy is sweeping through Latin America,” said Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation. “Israel receiving observer status in the Central American parliament would be another strong example of what can happen when politicians of faith take their biblical support of Israel and turn it into real political action.”
