Herzog, Panama’s Mulino Pledge Closer Ties During First Israeli Presidential Visit to Panama
By The Media Line Staff
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino in Panama City on May 6, 2026, during the first official visit by an Israeli head of state to Panama, as the two leaders pledged expanded cooperation in security, commerce, technology, agriculture, innovation, health, and water management.
Herzog was welcomed at the Presidential Palace before holding private and expanded bilateral meetings with Mulino focused on strengthening strategic ties between the two countries.
During remarks following the meetings, Herzog thanked Panama for its historic support for Israel and remarked on the warm relations between the two nations.
“We will never forget how Panama stood with the Jewish people at the dawn of our statehood, supporting the historic resolution on Israel’s establishment, and formalizing relations just weeks after our independence,” Herzog said.
He also addressed Israel’s war against Iran-backed groups following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
“Since the horrific massacre of October 7th, 2023, Israel has faced a multi-front war with Iran and its terror proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis,” Herzog said. “We did not seek this war. But we will defend our people.”
Herzog warned that Iran’s activities extend beyond the Middle East and referenced Hezbollah’s 1994 bombing attack in Panama.
“Latin America has felt the long arm of Iranian terror,” he said. “Right here on Panama’s soil, Hezbollah murdered 20 innocent civilians in a horrific terror attack in 1994.”
“The international community cannot turn a blind eye to the chaos that the Iranian regime seeks to spread throughout the world,” he added.
Herzog also praised President Trump’s decision to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions, calling the move “courageous and necessary.”
Mulino described Herzog’s visit as “a historic milestone in Israel-Panama relations” and said the relationship between the countries had been built over more than seven decades on “trust, mutual respect, and cooperation.”
Earlier in the day, Herzog toured the Panama Canal alongside Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez and received briefings on the canal’s strategic importance and opportunities for cooperation in trade, infrastructure, and innovation.
At the canal, Herzog contrasted Panama’s role in preserving global shipping routes with threats to maritime traffic in the Middle East.
“This is a beautiful example of how to lead and enable freedom of navigation and maritime freedom, as opposed to what we see in the Straits of Bab al-Mandab in the Red Sea, or in the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf,” Herzog said. “We must all stand up firmly against any blockage of maritime capability and movement around the world.”
- Vásquez called the trip “a very historic and symbolic visit” and said Panama hoped to strengthen cooperation with Israel in commerce and innovation.
- Before departing for Costa Rica to attend the inauguration of President-elect Laura Fernández Delgado, Herzog met with Panama’s Jewish community, including schoolchildren and community leaders, together with First Lady Michal Herzog.
- Addressing Jewish students, Herzog praised the unity of Panama’s Jewish community.
- “Our unity means a lot,” he said. “Our enemies don’t differentiate between the way we practice Judaism, and Jews all over the world should have the full right to practice their Judaism without harassment, without fear.”
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
Be First to Comment