Peru–Israel relations
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Israel–Peru relations are foreign relations between Israel and Peru. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1957. Israel has an embassy in Lima. Peru has an embassy in Tel Aviv.
Sephardic merchants settled in Peru more than a century ago. Jews have lived in Iquitos during the late 19th century rubber boom. In 1998 Israel and Peru agreed to talks on establishing free trade between the two countries.
During the devastating earthquakes that have hit Peru (1970, 2005, 2007), Israel was the first country to send help. Israel sent the distinguished Israel Defense Forces Unit 669 Search and Rescue unit, along with members of the IDF medical corp which set up a field hospital.
In 2001 Eliane Karp, a former Israeli, became First Lady of Peru.
In 2011, former chief of staff of the Peruvian Armed Forces, General Francisco Contreras said, "We definitely need to be concerned with the growing presence of Iran in South America. It appears that Iranian organizations provide support to other terrorist organizations, and that there is cooperation between them. There is something strange in the relationship Chavez has forged with Iran, as is the presence of the Iranian defense minister in Bolivia on a recent visit. According to Contreras, countries like Israel and Peru need to increase cooperation to combat the growing terrorist threat.
Bilateral trade was $37 million in 1997. $31 million coming from Israeli exports to Peru. Israeli exports to Peru rose 71.5% in the first quarter of 1998 compared with the same period in the previous year. Israeli exports consisted of machinery and plastics. Israel imports food, beverages and tobacco from Peru.
Israel’s defense ties with Peru go back several decades, and in recent years include the sale of Rafael’s Spike anti-tank missile to the Peruvian army, as well as Israeli drones to its air force. In 2009, the government of Peru signed a $9 million deal with Global CST, a defense-consulting firm based in Petah Tikva, run by former IDF general Yisrael Ziv. Peruvian General Contreras said he decided to hire Ziv’s company to help train the military how to combat terrorists from the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) Maoist organization.
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