The Republic of Panama became the 42nd country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism on Tuesday.
A ceremony was held to mark the occasion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Panama City, with Panamanian Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo and Organization of American States (OAS) Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Fernando Lottenberg among the participating dignitaries.
Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo was represented at the event by Minister of the Presidency José Simpson Polo.
In a tweet, Lottenberg noted that Panama was the seventh nation in the Americas to adopt the IHRA antisemitism, calling it a milestone in the fight against racism and discrimination.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), which organized the Central America-Israel Forum II that was hosted by Panama last year, welcomed the adoption.
The final plank of the joint declaration issued at the end of that forum, which was held at the Latin American Parliament, or Parlatino, in Panama City, read, “We affirm that antisemitism is an increasing ill in societies across the globe and support the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, agreed upon by the European Commission and the United States, among many other leading international entities. This definition allows for anti-Jewish prejudice to be clearly defined in its modern-day forms, helping law enforcement to handle it appropriately and justly.”
Israeli Ambassador to Panama Itai Bardov said the adoption put Panama “in line with dozens of leading countries that are clearly saying no to antisemitism, hatred, and intolerance.”
