Guatemala will officially recognise Jerusalem's City of David and its archaeological finds as part of the nation's heritage, unveiling a plaque signed by President Bernardo Arévalo. The bilingual marker will be unveiled by Ambassador Ava Atzum Arévalo Triboullier de Moscoso at a ceremony attended by Israeli FM Gideon Sa'ar and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. The move follows similar recognitions by the United States and Argentina and underscores longstanding Guatemala–Israel ties, including Guatemala's 2018 embassy relocation to Jerusalem.
Guatemala to Honor Jerusalem’s City of David With National Heritage Plaque
A GROUP of Jewish schoolgirls finish their tour of the City of David National Park excavations. (photo credit: FLASH90)
Guatemala will formally recognise Jerusalem's City of David and the archaeological heritage uncovered there as part of its national inheritance in a ceremony on Friday, the City of David Foundation announced. A commemorative plaque bearing the signature of President Bernardo Arévalo will be unveiled on his behalf by Guatemala's ambassador to Israel, Ava Atzum Arévalo Triboullier de Moscoso.
The Central American nation becomes the third country to place a plaque at the City of David National Park, following earlier installations by the United States and Argentina. Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, are scheduled to attend, alongside Guatemalan officials and members of Congress.
The bilingual inscription, written in English and Spanish, describes the City of David as the place where Jerusalem's earliest communities developed and links that ancient history to the longstanding relationship between Guatemala and Israel.
The burnt wooden beams discovered in the City of David, July 20, 2026. (credit: Reut Vilf, City of David)
The burnt wooden beams discovered in the City of David, July 20, 2026. (credit: Reut Vilf, City of David)
The City of David, site of Biblical Jerusalem, preserves the origins of a millennia-old history. 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.
An Essential Part Of Humanity's Historical Heritage
Ahead of the ceremony, Ambassador Arévalo de Moscoso said the archaeological remains at the City of David carry significance well beyond modern national borders. She emphasised that what archaeologists uncover there speaks to the early chapters of a city whose history has shaped spiritual, historical and cultural traditions across the world, including in Guatemala.
There are few places in the world where history can be experienced as directly as in the City of David. 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, she said.
David Be'eri, chairman of the City of David Foundation and an Israel Prize laureate, said Guatemala's recognition reflects a biblical vision of Jerusalem as meaningful to many nations. He noted the site's ongoing archaeological discoveries and their resonance for Jewish heritage and for people around the world.
The United States previously installed a plaque linking the City of David to American Judeo-Christian heritage, and Argentina presented its plaque during President Javier Milei's visit to Jerusalem in June 2025. Guatemala has maintained close ties with Israel for decades and moved its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. President Arévalo studied sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before beginning his diplomatic and political career.
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