The home mezuzah of the murdered 7/10 was placed in the New Israel Embassy

Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, Paraguayan President Santiago Pania and Ambassador Yoad Magen inaugurated the Israeli Embassy in Paraguay today (Wednesday). On the front door of the embassy, ​​Avi Chassidim set the mezuzah from the house in Kfar Gaza, where his son, the late Nour, was murdered together with his partner, the late Sivan Elkabetz, on the morning of October 7th.

The terrorists broke into the house where the two were staying in the Hador Hatzair neighborhood in the kibbutz, shot and threw grenades at them. The house became a memorial site, where visitors today view the shattered furniture and photographs of the last WhatsApp messages Sivan sent to her parents, moments before the worst of all. The mezuzah survived the destruction and the inferno and made its way to the door of the embassy in Paraguay.
Just before setting the mezuzah, Chassidim said in an excited voice: “This mezuzah is the heart of Naor and Sivan who were murdered on the seventh of October. This mezuzah is dear to us. This mezuzah is the continuity of my son.” As he addressed directly the chairman of the Paraguayan House of Representatives, Raul Latour, who Attending the ceremony together with senior members of the local government, Hasidim added: “It is a great honor for me to leave my son’s mezuzah, Naor and Sivan’s heart here. This is my most emotional day, this is the gift we gave you. In two weeks they were supposed to get married, this is the gift we gave you.” , this is the gift we gave you. What I felt here in these two days I have not felt for a long time. I thank you and the dear president and everyone, thank you very much.’

Avi Hasidim finished his words in a voice choked with tears and said: “Always know that Noor and Sivan are always here with you. They didn’t just go, no one will beat us – not Hamas, not Iran, not anyone. When you are with us – we will be strong. And in the future we will continue and establish more mezuzahs in other countries and continue to be strong together always.’

Next to the door where the mezuzah was placed, a sign was placed that read: “This mezuzah is a symbol of memory, continuity and the power of perseverance of the people of Israel. It connects the private mourning for the murder of Sivan Elkabats and the late Naor Hasidim in Kfar Gaza, 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.”

At the embassy dedication ceremony, which was also attended by the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Yevgeni Soba from the opposition and MK Boaz Bismut from the coalition, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said: “It is a unique privilege to inaugurate the Israeli embassy in Asuncion. This is a 4,000-year-old mitzvah This mezuzah is especially sacred. It was a permanent fixture in the house where Sion Alkabatz and Naor Hasidim were brutally murdered in Kibbutz Kfar Gaza. Against the terrorists who took Sion and Naor from us. She was brought here personally by the father of Naor, the father of the Chassidim, whose presence we have here today. Paraguay, a nation known for its noble values, is very worthy of being the country where the holy mezuzah of Sion and Naor will be established. In the name of the Knesset, which represents the entire people of Israel, and in the name of the Jewish people – thank you Paraguayan.

The president of Paraguay, Santiago Penia, added that “we are paining together with the Jewish people for what happened on the seventh of October; 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 realize dreams together. I am happy to announce here now that next December I will arrive in Israel and open the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem.’

In 2018, the Israeli embassy was closed, as a response to the previous Paraguayan president’s decision to close the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem. Last year Penya was elected president of Paraguay and ordered the return of the Paraguayan embassy to Jerusalem. Following this, Israel announced the return of the embassy to Asuncion, which was inaugurated today by the speaker of the Knesset and the president of Paraguay.

Last night, after Knesset Speaker Ohana’s speech in Congress, the parliamentary delegation visited the Presidential Palace, where his hosts surprised him and the members of the delegation by lighting the palace in blue and white colors, as a sign of identification with the State of Israel.

It is important to note that Paraguay has been at the forefront of support for Israel since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War and works in international forums against anti-Israel resolutions.

Tonight, the Knesset delegation is expected to fly to the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, where Chairman Ohana will meet with President Javier Millay, with Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino, and with Defense Minister Luis Petri.