page_title: Israel–Mexico relations
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Israel–Mexico relations / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Prime Minister of Israel Levi Eshkol and former President of Mexico Miguel Alemán Valdés on his visit to Israel, November 18, '63.
context_page_description: Israeli–Mexican relations are the diplomatic relations between Israel and Mexico. Both nations are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
context_section_description: During the Partition of Palestine in November 1947, Mexico was one of ten countries to abstain from voting on the partition. Mexico recognized Israel in January 1950 and both nations established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1952. Since then, both nations have opened embassies in each other's countries, respectively, with Mexico opening its embassy in Tel Aviv in 1959.
  Relations between the two nations are based primarily on international cooperation in the United Nations and mutual respect for each other. In 1975, Mexican President Luis Echeverría paid a state visit to Israel. In 2000, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo also paid a state visit to Israel. During his stay in Israel, President Zedillo met with Israeli President Ezer Weizman and both leaders signed a Free Trade Agreement between both nations, with the aim of expanding productive ties and business ties.
  Over the years, Mexico and Israel have increased military cooperation. In 2008, Mexico purchased US$210 million of Israeli military equipment. There are also several cultural and touristic interchanges between both nations. In 2013, Mexican citizens were one of the biggest visitors to Israel for tourism and religious purposes. In October 2013, the Mexican Congress installed a section in their building dedicated to 'Mexico-Israel Friendship'.
  In September 2016, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto attended the funeral of former Israeli President, Shimon Peres, held at the National Cemetery Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem. President Peña Nieto was accompanied by the then Foreign Minister, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, as well as members of the Jewish Community in Mexico.
  On 13 September 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid an official three day visit to Mexico and met with President Enrique Peña Nieto and members of the Jewish-Mexican community. Prime Minister Netanyahu became the first Israeli head of government to visit Mexico and Latin America. Relations between both nations had been slightly tense since Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted in January 2017 that he backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to build a border wall between Mexico and the United States. A few days before Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit, IsraAid sent humanitarian supplies to the earthquake stricken region of the Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca after an 8.1 earthquake hit the area on 7 September 2017. During Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit, both nations signed agreements on aviation, in the hopes of establishing direct flights between both nations; international development, specifically cooperation in international development that will focus on relevant development issues including water, agriculture, initiatives and innovation; and a space agreement to create the legal infrastructure for cooperation in the uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.
  In July 2017, both nations celebrated 65 years of diplomatic relations.
caption: Former President Miguel Alemán Valdés meeting with Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, 1963.
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