1970 Asunción Israeli Embassy attack

The 1970 Asunción Israeli Embassy shooting was a terrorist attack on May 4th 1970 that took place at the Israeli embassy building in Asunción, Paraguay. Two embassy secretaries were shot by two Palestinian men rumored to have belonged to Fatah. It was the first attack against an Israeli embassy in the world.

The attack

On the morning of May 4th 1970, at approximately 10:30 a.m., two young Arab men approached the reception of the Israeli Embassy, asking to see the then Israeli ambassador to Paraguay, Benjamin Varon. The subsequent victims, Diana Zawluk and Edna Peer attended to the pair and informed them that the Ambassador was not present at the time. The two men then left. An hour later, at around 11:30 a.m., they stormed into the embassy and opened fire at the two embassy secretaries who had attended to them earlier. Peer died later at a hospital and Zahluk was critically injured. The perpetrators then fled before being apprehended by police shortly after.

Perpetrators

In subsequent investigations by the National Police, it was revealed that both attackers were of Palestinian origin and were reported to be members of the Fatah organization - an organization that had begun its armed struggle against Israel in the 1960's. They were identified as Miguel Adapo and Cando Kalek. A third suspected accomplice was sought by police.