In the News
JNS quoted B’nai B’rith International CEO Dan Mariaschin in its story about Panama becoming the 42nd country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism.
The Republic of Panama became the 42nd country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The decision, announced on July 25, drew praise from Jewish leaders.
“Panama’s adopting the IHRA definition is yet another important endorsement for these vital standards used in the fight against antisemitism,” Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International, told JNS.
“We hope that Panama’s example will now be followed by other countries in Latin America that have not yet adopted the definition,” he said. “With antisemitism growing globally at an alarming rate, the IHRA definition enables like-minded countries, municipal jurisdictions, universities, athletic associations and others to create a broad front in combating this vile form of hatred.”
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“The endorsement of IHRA by the Republic of Panama is a welcome step toward building international consensus toward combating antisemitism,” stated Harriet Schleifer and William Daroff, chair and CEO, respectively, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
“We thank President Laurentino Cortizo and the Panamanian National Assembly for taking action to help combat antisemitism domestically and globally,” they added.
Itai Bardov, the Israeli ambassador to Panama, tweeted in Spanish that it was “a great honor and pleasure” to participate in the July 25 ceremony, which he said put the country “in line with dozens of leading countries in the world that are clearly saying no to antisemitism, hatred and intolerance.”