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El Salvador's President Plants a Tree in The Grove of Nations

May 10, 2009

The President of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca Gonzalez, was unwilling to forgo the down-to-earth ceremony of planting a tree in the earth of Jerusalem – despite his packed schedule during his first visit to Israel. President Saca was obviously excited upon his arrival at the Grove of Nations, located at the foot of Mount Herzl and the Yad Vashem Museum, where he had visited. Accompanied by his wife, as well as El Salvador's ambassador to Israel and the Israeli ambassador to El Salvador, the visiting president was greeted by KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler together with Rabbi Yerahmiel Barilka, former director of KKL-JNF Latin-American Desk.

President Gonzalez planting at the Grove. Photo: KKL-JNF Photo Archive

In his greetings to the visiting president, Stenzler expressed his deep satisfaction that El Salvador's President had chosen to join other leaders of the world's nations in expressing love and friendship by planting a tree in Jerusalem. "There can be no better accord to express the culmination of your presidency," he told President Saca, who will be concluding his term of office in several months. Stenzler noted the similarities between El Salvador and Israel: both are small countries with a similar population size and with many of its citizens living overseas. "Israel makes a serious contribution to the world-wide struggle against global warming and we are happy to strengthen our ties with El Salvador in the fields of research and science - for the mutual benefit of both nations and the globe," he concluded.

President Saca was actually born in Bethlehem from where his Roman Catholic family emigrated. He spoke enthusiastically about the love and admiration that his fellow countrymen feel for the democratic State of Israel and her achievements, noting shared areas of initiative in the fields of development and the environment. "Both our nations export a great deal of information in these fields, as the challenges facing us are similar in many ways. I am very happy with this cooperation in which we attempt to provide solutions to these challenges."

At the conclusion of this short ceremony, El Salvador's Ambassador to Israel recited the Planter's Prayer; President Saca was presented with a beautiful tree planting certificate after planted an olive sapling in the Grove of Nations.

After a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, the President of the Republic planted an olive tree in the Grove of Nations in Jerusalem Forest, which is located just beneath the memorial. "The tree that we will plant here is a symbol of the friendship between our two peoples and expresses our hope for peace amongst nations. I very much admire KKL-JNF's work on behalf of nature and the environment. The struggle against global warming and desertification is a goal that we all share," said President Reyna.

Noting the historic bond between the Jewish people and the Dominican Republic, the President added: "If only 100,000 refugees had arrived safely on our shores rather than just 10,000! Besides the humanitarian aspect of saving people whose lives were in danger, I have no doubt that they would have made a significant contribution to our country in terms of technological and scientific advancement."

KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler welcomed the president at the ceremony: "In the Jewish tradition, planting a tree means making a covenant of friendship, just as Abraham made a covenant with Avimelech by planting a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. The Grove of the Nations offers world leaders an opportunity to express their solidarity with the Jewish people, with the state of Israel and with nature and the environment. The tree planted by the President of the Dominican Republic tells the moving story of the Republic's readiness to provide safe haven for Jewish refugees on the eve of the Second World War."

Dominican delegation at the Grove of Nations. Photo: KKL-JNF Photo Archive

Mr. Mordechai Dayan, a member of the KKL-JNF Directorate, greeted the hosts in Spanish and described KKL-JNF's contribution to the founding of the state of Israel, adding: "We will never forget those who attacked us over the course of history, but we will also always remember those who stretched out a helping hand and supported us. Our neighbors are not our enemy; we will eventually make peace with them. Our real enemy is the damage being done to nature and the environment, which KKL-JNF is fighting against today and every day."

Andy Michelson, KKL-JNF Director of Protocol and VIP Ceremonies, emphasized the importance of planting a tree immediately after visiting Yad Vashem: "This memorial commemorates the millions of victims, and planting a tree is a reaffirmation of life. It is important to foster ties between countries not only by words, but also by deeds. Planting a tree is a way of strengthening the bond."

The ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Israel and the Israeli ambassador to the Dominican Republic read the "Planter's Prayer" together, in both Hebrew and Spanish. Afterwards, the KKL-JNF World Chairman and the President of the Dominican Republic planted an olive tree in the grove that is home to many trees planted by heads of state from all over the world. The President surprised everyone when he called on each of the members of his delegation to take part in planting the tree: "After all, it is a democracy," he said with a smile.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Stenzler and President Reyna signed on the shovel that was used to plant the olive tree in the soil of Jerusalem.