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The government of the Dominican Republic will soon adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, President Luis Abinader declared on Monday at the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s sixth-annual Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism in Santo Domingo.
The move will make the Dominican Republic the seventh Latin American nation officially embrace the IHRA framework, following Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, and Uruguay.
Addressing hundreds of national and local decision and policymakers, religious leaders, community activists, and Jewish organizational representatives from across Latin America at the summit’s gala dinner, President Abinader said, “Antisemitism is not a problem that concerns only the Jewish people. It is a threat to democratic coexistence and to the rights and freedoms of us all. This fight must be guided by universal principles, not by temporary political circumstances.”
“Rejecting antisemitism does not mean taking a position regarding a particular government or conflict,” the president stated. “It means stating unequivocally that no political disagreement, no cause, and no circumstance can justify hatred, discrimination, or violence against an individual or a community.”
“With this conviction, tonight I announce that the Dominican government has decided to formally adopt the Working Definition of Antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,” he continued. “I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formalize this decision and make it public.”
“This adoption will provide a framework for identifying and combating the different manifestations of antisemitism, while fully respecting freedom of expression and the other rights enshrined in our constitution,” President Abinder emphasized. “Through this decision, the Dominican Republic reaffirms its commitment to the memory of the Holocaust, to the protection of Jewish communities, and to the eradication of antisemitism in all its forms. It likewise reaffirms its rejection of every manifestation of hatred, religious intolerance, discrimination, and violence against any people or community. Human dignity is indivisible, and its defense admits no exceptions.”
U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Rabbi Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun was also a guest of honor and keynote speaker on Monday, and he praised the Dominican Republic for the IHRA adoption, calling it a “historic moment.”
“What you have witnessed tonight is a government standing up for what is right,” he said.
“There cannot be any compromise with antisemitism,” Ambassador Kaploun noted. “We will lead by example and we will take positive steps to protect every Jewish community. In America, we have our marching orders. We are holding universities accountable. We are prosecuting hate crimes. We have changed our visa vetting programs. We have withdrawn from major UN bodies that have promoted terrorism and antisemitism.”
“Latin America is in the middle of a very transformative time, rejecting a socialist path in favor of prosperity and freedom,” he added. “It is my privilege to represent the president and the secretary of state to tell everybody that America stands ready to support our friends in this effort to bring a new Latin America with religious liberty and freedom for everybody.”
Special Envoy Kaploun went on to call on all Latin American countries to follow the Dominican Republic’s lead and adopt the IHRA definition. In previous remarks earlier in the day at the summit, he also urged Latin American nations to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Other speakers at Monday’s dinner included CAM Executive Director of Latin American Affairs Shay Salamon and Chair of the CAM Advisory Board for Latin America and Catalan journalist Pilar Rahola.
Salamon thanked President Abinader for the IHRA adoption announcement, which CAM played a key roles in facilitating.
Reflecting on the Dominican Republic’s unique history as a safe haven for Jews during the Holocaust, Salamon said, “Almost nine decades ago, many countries knew what was happening. Nearly all of them found an excuse to look the other way. But the Dominican Republic chose to open its doors. And today, almost nine decades later, it welcomes us once again. This time, we did not come seeking refuge. We came seeking allies. And we found them.”
“Today, as I look around this room, I can say something that, for me as a Jew, would once have seemed like a dream — we are not alone,” he concluded.
Building on the success of previous regional forums in Brazil, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Panama, and Guatemala, the aim of this year’s gathering was to create a space for the exchange of collaborative strategies and best practices and the development of new and innovative approaches to confronting and eliminating antisemitism throughout Latin America, while safeguarding democracy, pluralism, and interfaith coexistence.
The four-day forum opened on Sunday afternoon with a meeting of CAM’s Latin American Legislators Against Antisemitism group, featuring the participation of 45 lawmakers from 16 countries.
Latin American Legislators Against Antisemitism was launched earlier this year, and Uruguayan Congressman Conrado Rodríguez serves as its president.
On Sunday evening, CAM partnered with the local embassies of Israel, Germany, and Argentina to host a display of the “No Discriminarás” (“Thou Shall Not Discriminate”) traveling art exhibit at Quinta Dominica cultural center in Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone.
In forum sessions held at the Palace of Congress on Monday, distinguished speakers included, among others: Alfredo Pacheco, President of the Dominican Chamber of Deputies; Carmen de la Rosa; Dominican Chamber of Deputies Member and President of the Dominican-Israeli Interparliamentary Friendship Group; Olfanny Mendez, Dominican Chamber of Deputies Member and Former Chamber Vice President; Dr. Elias Wessin, Dominican Chamber of Deputies Member; Dr. Franco Fiumara, Argentine Criminal Court Judge; and Washington Abdala, Former President of the Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay and Ambassador of Uruguay to the OAS.
Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs Víctor Bisonó, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism of the Organization of American States (OAS) Fernando Lottenberg, and retired Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz were slated to address the summit on Tuesday.
Before the conclusion of the forum on Wednesday, participants will sign the following joint declaration:
JOINT DECLARATION
We, the participants of the Sixth Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism, held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, agree to the following declaration:
We SHARE a common mission of rooting out antisemitism from our societies and safeguarding democracy, pluralism, and interfaith coexistence throughout Latin America.
We CALL ON regional, national, and local authorities, businesses, civic organizations, and NGOs across Latin America to adopt, implement, and enforce zero-hate policies, legislation, executive measures, and social media regulations addressing and countering antisemitism.
We AFFIRM the vital importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism as the most authoritative and effective framework for identifying all modern-day forms of Jew-hatred, and we URGE Latin American countries to endorse, use, and promote it.
We SUPPORT educational and intercommunal initiatives to build deeper understanding, mutual respect, and unity between Latin America’s Jewish communities and peoples of all backgrounds in the region.
We STAND in steadfast solidarity with the State of Israel and resolutely support its right to self-defense against its enemies, foremost among them the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen.
We DEMAND the Iranian regime to be held accountable for its past and present export of terrorism and violence worldwide, including in Latin America.
We EXPRESS solidarity with the oppressed Iranian people and HOPE for a future in which they are free from the tyrannical regime that denies them liberty and dignity.
We REJECT efforts to isolate or boycott the State of Israel and ENCOURAGE stronger bilateral ties between Latin American countries and Israel in diplomacy, security, trade, technology, economic development, agriculture, and tourism.
CAM’s outreach in Latin America began more than five years ago, and since then it has worked diligently to build meaningful partnerships and friendships with influential leaders, legislators, diplomats, community organizations, and civil society activists from a diverse assortment of religious, political and cultural backgrounds in the region to combat antisemitism together.
During this time, CAM en Español has emerged as a key player in the battle against Jew-hatred in Latin America, with a growing coalition involved in impactful activities in countries including Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras, and Paraguay, among others.
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