Schedule of Second Annual Central America-Israel Forum

In a world where hatred of Israel and antisemitic rhetoric and violence are on the rise, the time has come for the friends of the State of Israel and the Jewish people to stand up and be counted in a display of resolute solidarity, and this is precisely one of the objectives of the Second Annual Central America-Israel Forum, which will take place from September 6 to 8 in Panama City, Panama. This year, for the first time, the summit will bring together in person a distinguished group of senior officials, activists, and legislators from 12 countries in the region to discuss the contemporary relations between Central America, Israel, and the United States of America, as well as to address the challenges and opportunities in the global fight against Jew-hatred.

For more information and registration, visit: centralamerica.combatantisemitism.org

The forum will be broadcast live on CAM en Español’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

September 6th

Opening Gala Dinner: Better Together and Stronger Together, 7:30 PM EST

Statements Delivered By:
— Representative of the Government of Panama
— Mariano Rivera, Panamanian-American, member of the National Hall of Fame of Baseball, and Founder and President of the Mariano Rivera Foundation
— Amb. Itai Bardov, Ambassador of Israel to Panama
— Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the CAM Advisory Board
— Rep. Alma Hernandez, Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
— Ceremony to Recognize H.E. Mario Bucaro, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala
— Elan S. Carr, Member of the CAM Advisory Board, and former U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism
— David Djemal, Senior Vice President of B’nai B’rith International and representative of the Panamanian-Jewish community
— Arian Abadi, Panamanian-Israeli musician, actor, and producer

September 7th

Plenaries

Opening Plenary: Coming Together to Stand Up to Hatred and Bigotry, 9:00 – 10:00 AM EST

Statements Delivered By:
— Moderator: Shay Salamon, Director of Hispanic Affairs of the Combat Antisemitism Movement
— Host: Alfredo Jiménez Barros, Technical Coordinator of Parlatino
— Sacha Roytman-Dratwa, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement
— Maruja Gorday de Villalobos, Minister of Education of the Republic of Panama
— Fernando Lottenberg, Commissioner of the Organization of American States (OAS) for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism
— Dr. Fidel Reyes Lee, Honorary President of the Second Annual Central America-Israel Forum, and President of the Guatemala-Israel Interparliamentary Friendship League
— Elan S. Carr, Member of the CAM Advisory Board, and former U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism
— Jeanette Nelkenbaum, Daughter of a Holocaust Survivor
— Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International (video message)

Session A: Strengthening Ties with the Jewish People Based on Shared Values, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM EST

Statements Delivered By:
— Moderator: Rev. Carlos Durán, President of the National Hispanic Pastors Alliance (NAHPA)
— Congressman Ariel Alba, President of the Panama League, and Director of the Panama-Israel Friendship League
— Congressman Warren Beitia, Member of the Panama-Israel Friendship League, and Central American Parliament (PARLACEN)
— Congresswoman Shirley Díaz Mejia, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, and President and Director of the Costa Rica-Israel Friendship League
— Keith Rothfus, Former Member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District (video message)
— Eduardo Kohn, Director of Latin America Affairs of B’nai B’rith International

Session B: Sharing of Best Practices for Ensuring Safe and Tolerant Cities, 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST

Statements Delivered By:
— Moderator: Judy Meana, Deputy Mayor of Panama City, Panama
— Gerardo Amarilla, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
— Brith Catherine Vaca Chicaiza, Deputy Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
— Rubén Farje, OAS Representative in Panamá
— Patricia Pérez, Candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, and Director of the Latin American Institute for Peace and Citizenship
— Edmavi Gonzales, Youth Director of Mides, Panama
— IHRA Statement Read by Louder Pablo, President of the Evangelical Representative Council of Uruguay (CREU) (video message)

Session C: Promoting Dialogue, Understanding, and a Sense of Community, 2:15 – 3:30 PM EST

Statements Delivered By:
— Moderator: Pastor Eduardo Gómez, Vice President of the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia, and Director of New Latin America
— Pastor Priciano Gil Hernández, President of the Evangelical Alliance of Panama
— Alan Perelis, President of the Jewish Congress of Panama
— Monsignor José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta, Archbishop of Panama
— Sajid Daya Bhiku, Director of the Islamic Foundation of Panama
— Pastor Raul Rubio, Yovel Community of Colombia
— Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Member of the United States House of Representatives for New York’s 11th Congressional District (video message)

Closing Plenary: Achieving Excellence in the Face of Adversity, 3:30 – 5:00 PM EST

Statements Delivered By:
— Joint declaration presented and signed by all parties
— Gabriel González, Deputy Minister of Culture of Panama
— Amb. Itai Bardov, Ambassador of Israel to Panama
— Héctor Manuel Valdez Albizu, Governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, and Candidate for President of the Dominican Republic
— Alberto Levy, President of B’nai B’rith Panama, and Representative of the Jewish Community of Panama
— Eduardo Leblanc, Ombudsman of Panamá
— Dani Dayan, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center (video message)
— William Vanderdys, Grandson of former Venezuelan President General Eleazar Lopez Contreras, recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations”
— Robert Singer, Chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact, Senior Advisor to the Combat Antisemitism Movement, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of World ORT (video message)

September 8th

Panama City Community Day, 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Breakfast with the members of the Jewish Community of Panama

Community service project with the Mariano Rivera Foundation