In a warm and moving ceremony on May 16th, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez planted an olive sapling in the KKL-JNF Grove of Nations in Jerusalem as a sign of the strong friendship between his country and Israel.
On an official visit to Israel, the President of Panama noted that the ties between the two countries are strong in various fields and said he looked forward to furthering those ties on his current visit.
“This is a very special occasion to be here, especially since we are celebrating Shavuot, a celebration of the harvest and the land that cares for the wellbeing of the people,” he said. “This is a good coincidence since Panama and Israel are working together in agriculture and we are learning from this country how to be better in this field.”
A devout Catholic, he added that the day before had been the celebration of the feast day of Saint Isidore, the patron saint of farmers.
“This visit, between the celebration of St. Isidore and Shavuot, leaves no doubt that we all live on one planet, we are brothers and we are the children of one God with Whom we communicate in our faith and in our beliefs,” he said.
He added that Panama was about to sign an agricultural agreement with Israel.
The president was welcomed to the Grove of Nations by KKL-JNF Vice President Hernan Felman and KKL-JNF Latin American Department Director Ariel Goldgewicht. The President was accompanied by Panamanian Commerce and Industry minister Augusto Arosemena, Panamanian Agricultural Minister Eduardo Enrique Carles. Also part of the delegation were Panamanian ambassador to Israel Adis Urieta and Israeli ambassador to Panama Gil Artzyeli. Accompanying them were KKL-JNF Chief Forester David Brand, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Protocol Meron Reuben and the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s deputy director general for Latin America Modi Ephraim.
Noting that KKL-JNF has been a leader in the fight against desertification and in bettering the environment for over 11 decades, Hernan Felman said KKL-JNF has planted forests, and built reservoirs and recreational areas for the benefit of all of Israel’s residents.
“It is moving to know that our nations share the same love for nature in general and for trees in particular. Mr. President, we are aware of the wonderful Alianza de Un Million de Hectareas [Alliance of One Million Hectares] which you are currently promoting in Panama. I would like to take this opportunity to express our solidarity with this cause and to offer our support in whatever you need,” Felman said.
The president had requested to meet with KKL-JNF foresters and spent time discussing reforestation issues with KKL-JNF Chief Forester David Brand, whom he invited for a visit to Panama.
President Varela Rodriguez brought warm greetings from the people of Panama and expressed his own admiration and respect for the men and women who made the State of Israel possible.
“I would like to share with you today a very special emotion, being in a place where there are the remains of so much history, so much sacrifice, and so many struggles to build the State of Israel,” he said.
“I feel a very special energy in this place where the dreams, hopes, sacrifices, cries, victories and losses of so many men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defense of the Jewish people and especially the State of Israel,” he added. “For me it is an honor to be here today in the name of the Panamanian people, paying tribute to those men and women who have fought for the state of Israel, and for the Jewish people around the world and above all defended the principles of Israel and the Jewish people to live in peace and their right to be able to be part of an international community to which they have contributed so much sacrifice, work and effort.”
Felman stressed the importance of the occasion, especially coming at the heels of the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem of another Central American country, Guatemala, and the announcement of Paraguay that it too intends to open its embassy in Jerusalem.
“The planting of this olive tree today stresses the importance of the strong ties between the two countries and a commitment for future collaboration. It symbolizes a joy for life and hope for peace for the future,” he said.
Prior to planting the tree, ambassadors Artzyeli and Urieta read the Planter’s Prayer in Hebrew and Spanish, their respective languages. Hernan Felman presented the president with a special framed KKL-JNF Certificate of Appreciation commemorating the event.
“For me it is an honor to be here today and planting this tree will be with me for the rest of my earthly life”, said President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez. “Undoubtedly I will have it present and I will always return to it to see it grow and especially for the principles and values which brought me to public life. It will always be present with me to strengthen world peace and peaceful coexistence among all the nations,” he concluded.