Israel’s already excellent relations with Guatemala may soon receive a new boost, thanks to a most peculiar presidential candidate.

Yitzhak Farhi, a 58-year-old businessman from Ra’anana, is running for president of the Latin country, and believes his chances of winning are good.

Two months ago, in an interview with a Guatemalan television station, Farhi was asked about the secret of Israel’s impressive growth.

Farhi replied that “ideals and unity” were behind the young nation’s successes, and suggested that Guatemala could also benefit from adopting these principles.

His words struck a chord and Farhi received an offer from the ViVa party to run for in the June presidential elections. He is not likely to have a simple path to victory, as he is not among the front-runners in the race.

ViVa, or Vision with Values, currently has three seats in the 158-seat unicameral Guatemalan legislature.

“My four fellow candidates have all run in the past and they failed,” he says.

Farhi was not parachuted into the campaign out of nowhere – he was born in Guatemala and entered politics at an early age.

He was among the founders of Guatemala’s National Advancement Party (PAN), which became one of the largest in the country. Among other roles, Farhi managed the party’s logistical system and led political campaigns that elected two presidents.