Roberto Arzú & Israelrobertoarzuisrael.com

Historical Timeline

From Guatemala City, 1900 to Jerusalem, and after

Thirteen milestones in a story that links one Guatemalan family to the founding of the State of Israel.

The declaration of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948
Tel Aviv, May 14, 1948: the declaration of the State of Israel. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

  1. 1900

    Jorge García Granados is born in Guatemala City on April 21.

  2. 1945

    He serves as Guatemala's ambassador to the United States and becomes a prominent representative of Guatemala's democratic government.

  3. May 1947

    García Granados joins the eleven-member United Nations Special Committee on Palestine on behalf of Guatemala.

  4. 1947

    UNSCOP investigates conditions in Palestine and the displacement crisis facing European Jews after the Holocaust.

  5. August 1947

    The UNSCOP majority recommends partition into independent Jewish and Arab states.

  6. Nov. 29, 1947

    Guatemala joins 32 other nations in voting for United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181.

  7. May 14, 1948

    The State of Israel declares independence.

  8. 1948

    García Granados publishes The Birth of Israel: The Drama as I Saw It.

  9. July 12, 1955

    He presents his credentials in Jerusalem as Guatemala's first ambassador to Israel.

  10. 1956

    Guatemala becomes the first country to establish an embassy in Jerusalem.

  11. 1961

    Jorge García Granados dies on May 3, leaving an enduring diplomatic legacy.

  12. 2022

    Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs names its diplomatic academy in his honor.

  13. Today

    Roberto Arzú carries forward a family and national tradition of friendship with Israel.