Israel and Honduras signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in a ceremony announced by Israel's Defense Ministry, with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Honduran Defense Minister Enrique Rodríguez Burchard signing the agreement intended to deepen defense cooperation between the two countries.
Israel and Honduras sign defense cooperation memorandum
Israel and Honduras signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in a ceremony announced by Israel's Defense Ministry, with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Honduran Defense Minister Enrique Rodríguez Burchard signing the agreement intended to deepen defense cooperation between the two countries.
The signing ceremony was attended by Israel Ministry of Defense Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, the Senior Deputy Head of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau, Israel's Defense Attaché to Honduras, and other senior officials from both countries, according to the ministry statement.
During the visit, the Honduran Minister of Defense, the Minister of Internal Security, and the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces held what the statement described as 'wide-ranging security discussions' with Baram. Those discussions covered shared strategic and security issues, ways to expand cooperation, and 'key lessons' from Israel's recent wars, as well as briefings on the Israel Ministry of Defense's current activities and 'key aspects of Israel's defense and defense-industrial establishment,' the ministry said.
The ministry described the MOU as part of a series of agreements developed over the past year, which it characterized as part of a strategy to expand Israel's defense partnerships, strengthen ties with friendly nations, and deepen cooperation between Israeli defense industries and international markets.
Honduras voted against a UN General Assembly resolution in 2017 that condemned the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and in 2021 became one of the first countries to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, alongside the US, Guatemala, and Kosovo. Honduras had withdrawn its ambassador from Israel following Hamas's Oct. 7 attack but appointed a new envoy in early August, who was received by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
- The source does not state the specific terms, duration, or scope of the Memorandum of Understanding.
- The source does not state what specific defense-industrial or security activities will result from the agreement.
- The source does not identify the other agreements in the series the ministry says were developed over the past year.
- The source does not state what prompted Honduras to appoint a new ambassador to Israel in early August after withdrawing its previous envoy.
- The source does not include any statement from the Honduran side explaining their government's position or goals regarding the MOU.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post