Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and Ambassador Yoad Magen inaugurated the new Israeli Embassy in Paraguay on Wednesday.
At the entrance to the embassy, Avi Hasidim affixed the mezuzah from the home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where his son Naor was murdered together with his girlfriend, Sivan Elkabetz, during the Hamas attack on the morning of October 7 last year.
Before affixing the mezuzah, Hasidim said, "This mezuzah is the heart of Naor and Sivan, who were murdered on October 7. This mezuzah is dear to us. This mezuzah is the continuity of my son."
Turning directly to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Paraguay, Raúl Latorre, who was present at the ceremony along with the senior members of the local government, Hasidim added, "It is a great honor for me to leave my son's mezuzah here, the heart of Naor and Sivan. This is the most moving day, this is the gift we gave you. They were supposed to get married in two weeks. What I felt here these past two days, I haven't felt in a long time. I thank you and the dear President and everyone, thank you very much.”
“You will always know that Naor and Sivan are always here with you. They didn't go for nothing, no one will beat us - not Hamas, not Iran, not anyone. When you are with us - we will be strong. And, with the help of God, we will continue to affix more mezuzahs in other countries and continue to be strong together always," he concluded.
Next to the door where the mezuzah was affixed, a sign was placed which reads, "This mezuzah is a symbol of memory, continuity and the power of perseverance of the people of Israel. It connects the private mourning over the murder of Sivan Elkabetz and Naor Hasidim in Kfar Aza, to the collective memory of the State of Israel and the Jewish people . The mezuzah is a silent witness, telling the story of the resilience of a people and the resilience of a nation."
President Peña added, "We grieve together with the Jewish people over what happened on October 7; we are not only together now, but we will be together forever. Israel-Paraguay relations are not limited to economic ties, but are based on faith, hope and the knowledge that we have the right to dream big and make dreams come true together. I am happy to announce here and now that I will arrive in Israel this coming December and open the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem."