And, as we discovered in our lively conversation with Panama\u2019s charismatic Ambassador to Israel, Ezra Cohen \u2013 an observant Jew \u2013 the country hosts a thriving, long-established Jewish community.<\/p>\n
![\"Herzog](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/720768.jpeg\"\/)
Herzog greets Jewish schoolchildren and staff at the Dr. Jaim Weizman school in San Jos\u00e9, Costa Rica, May 7. (credit: Costa Rica: President\u2019s Office Spokesperson)Ezra Cohen, the man<\/p>\n
We sat down with Cohen, 66, in his well-appointed Jerusalem home just prior to Herzog\u2019s Panama visit. With expansive views of the cityscape and the Knesset, it is situated close to the Mahaneh Yehuda market \u2013 which Cohen enthused he loves to stroll around. We admired the decor, which included bottles of \u201cPanama\u201d from the Psagot Winery, and multiple flags.<\/p>\n
It seems inevitable that Cohen would return to serve Israel. His parents lived in the very Jerusalem neighborhood he resides in now. His father fought in the 1948 War of Independence and was taken captive as a prisoner of war by Jordan, held for nine months, subsisting on worm-infested food, and finally released in a prisoner exchange. In the 1950s, Cohen recounts with clear delight, his father and uncle both worked at The Palestine Post (now The Jerusalem Post) in the archives department.<\/p>\n
Shortly thereafter, he went to Panama, found work, but came back to Israel to find a wife. That took him two weeks. They married three months later, and he took his bride to Panama. Cohen said his mother cried when she saw Panama and asked, \u201cWhen are we going home?\u201d But eventually they made a happy life there.<\/p>\n
After growing up in Panama, Cohen founded 26 public and private companies, which included the first Panamanian company to be listed on the NASDAQ. His extensive experience in the private and public sectors includes consumer electronics distribution, logistics, and fostering kosher food initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeventy-four years later, I came back to Israel as the ambassador during the war, during the winter, to close the circle here in Panama,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cohen and his wife, Linda, a real estate broker, make time every day to Facetime with their children and grandchildren, and they enjoy vacation visits twice a year in Israel and three times in Panama.<\/p>\n
The ambassador\u2019s excitement and sense of being honored to take part in pivotal events shaping the Jewish state colored our entire discussion. In May-June 1959, then-foreign minister Golda Meir visited Panama as part of a broader Latin American tour \u00a0to strengthen diplomatic ties with supportive countries in the region. Sixty-seven years later, it\u2019s more timely than ever.<\/p>\n
First stop for President Herzog \u2013 the Panama Canal<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president is going directly from the airport to the Panama Canal,\u201d noted Cohen. \u201cOf course, it\u2019s going to be a VIP tour, so he is going to be able to go to the chamber where they control the locks \u2013 and he\u2019s going to be able to open the locks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, one of Herzog\u2019s first stops was to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, which is known as one of the most significant engineering achievements in human history and remains one of the world\u2019s most vital strategic waterways.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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<\/a> in the Red Sea or in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> in the Gulf,\u201d the president said at the Panama Canal, calling the situation with Iran at the Strait of Hormuz \u201cthe antithesis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the other example,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must all stand up firmly against any blockage of maritime capability and movement around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n He also noted that Panama \u201cunderstands, perhaps better than anyone, the vital importance of freedom of navigation and why it is worth fighting for.\u201d<\/p>\n The canal opened on August 15, 1914, connecting the Atlantic (via Lim\u00f3n Bay) to the Pacific (near Panama City). With approximately 14,000 annual transits, the canal shortens routes dramatically (e.g., New York to San Francisco saves about 8,000 nautical miles vs Cape Horn) and is vital for US trade, grain, containers, and auto shipping. It is also a moneymaker for Panama; in 2025, it generated a record $5.7B in tolls.<\/p>\n According to the ambassador, 7% of world commerce traverses the canal.<\/p>\n After the red-carpet airport welcome, Herzog, and wife, Michal, were taken to the Presidential Palace (Palacio de las Garzas) for an official meeting with Panamanian President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino, his wife, Maricel de Mulino, and government officials.<\/p>\n Then it was on to Panama City, where he met with leaders and members of Panama\u2019s Jewish community (which, not counting Mexico, has Central America\u2019s largest community of Jews).<\/p>\n The US and Panama first established diplomatic relations in 1903, after Panama separated from Colombia, with US support. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty granted the US rights to build and control the Panama Canal and a surrounding Canal Zone in perpetuity. Under presidents Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos, the Torrijos-Carter Treaties (Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty) transferred full control of the canal to Panama on December 31, 1999.<\/p>\n Just 10 years before, the US launched Operation Just Cause, invading Panama and removing military leader, drug trafficker, and de facto dictator Manuel Noriega, to protect US citizens and restore democracy to Panama. Free elections have been held in Panama ever since. (There is a deeper story involving the CIA unseating Noriega, Cohen noted, and interested readers may listen to one of many podcasts on the subject.)<\/p>\n A major geopolitical and commercial dispute surfaced in 2025 over control of two key container ports at the entrances to the Panama Canal \u2013 Balboa on the Pacific side and Crist\u00f3bal on the Atlantic side, which had operated for decades by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings.<\/p>\n In early 2025, US President Donald Trump claimed China was \u201crunning the Panama Canal\u201d and vowed to \u201ctake it back.\u201d He put pressure on Panama to reduce perceived Chinese involvement with the ports.<\/p>\n The Supreme Court of Panama eventually ruled the concession contracts with CK Hutchison unconstitutional and annulled them. Panama then took back control of the ports and granted temporary (18-month) operating contracts to Maersk (Balboa) and MSC (Crist\u00f3bal).<\/p>\n The situation is yet unresolved and still highly contentious \u2013 a proxy battle in the US-China rivalry over strategic maritime infrastructure and delaying inspections to slow international commerce. Panama has tried to balance relations with both superpowers while asserting sovereignty.<\/p>\n Panama and Israel \u2013 friends from the beginning<\/p>\n The friendship between Panama<\/a> and Israel began in November 1947, with Panama\u2019s vote in favor of the UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181). On June 18, 1948, just one month after Israel declared independence on May 14, Panama was one of the first countries in Latin America to offer support to the nascent country, issuing Resolution No. 1856, which recognized Israel as a \u201csovereign state, fully invested with international personality.\u201d<\/p>\n During the 1948 War of Independence, Panama also facilitated the transfer of aircraft to Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this trip sends an even stronger message,\u201d Cohen observed. \u201cIsrael, due to the [recent war with Iran], has realized who its real allies and friends are, as many of them turned their back during these last days. Panama, from Israel\u2019s inception as a state, today and tomorrow will always be an ally to Israel.\u201d While Cohen stressed that Panama prides itself in its neutrality, he noted that it has never supported the Palestinian Authority, and never will.<\/p>\n History of Jewish Panama<\/p>\n Jews arrived in Panama shortly after Spanish colonization in the early 1500s. The first arrivals, fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, were conversos and marranos (crypto-Jews) \u2013 Jews forcibly converted to Catholicism but secretly practicing Judaism.<\/p>\n \u201cJewish members were part of the foundation of Panama,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cThey were part of the designing of the flag of Panama, and were part of the establishment of the firefighters unit in Panama. So Panama and the Jewish community go back\u2026 way, way back.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know which year the first Jew arrived in Panama? 1501,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe have the Panamanian Jewish Museum, which tells you the story about Panamanian Jewry in those days.\u201d<\/p>\n Cohen said it\u2019s documented that at 4 a.m., during the High Holy Day season, a man would walk the streets in the Jewish neighborhood, shouting, \u201cSelihot, Selihot!\u201d<\/p>\n Panama had three waves that brought Jews to its shores, according to Cohen. \u201cFirst, were Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition, the second were Jews fleeing Europe during World War II, and the third influx were Syrian Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n Cohen estimates there are currently 14,000 Jews living in Panama: 10,000 Sephardi; 2,000 Ashkenazi; and 2,000 Reform.<\/p>\n Other estimates differ slightly, estimating between 10,000 and 12,000 Jews living in Panama. Either way, Panama is the clear leader, with the largest Jewish population in Central America (many do not count Mexico, which has around 40,000, as Central America). Costa Rica, for its part, has around 3,000 Jews, primarily in San Jos\u00e9.<\/p>\n In South America, the Jewish population is more robust. Argentina leads with approximately 180,000 Jews, according to population estimates, followed by Brazil with around 120,000, Uruguay with 16,000, and Chile with 15,000-20,000. (These figures are from sources such as the American Jewish Year Book \/ demographer Sergio Della Pergola estimates.)<\/p>\n \u201cPanama and Israel are two nations, very small in size, but very big in heart,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cThey are looking to cooperate and work together for the betterment of the entire world.\u201d<\/p>\n He said Israel\u2019s policy this year is to strengthen its relationship with Latin American countries. \u201cWe have seen the result of the last elections, and countries like Bolivia and Chile, which were against Israel, now, with their new governments, are looking to establish very strong relationships with Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n As a businessman, he understands Panama\u2019s potential as a Jewish destination. With 52 kosher restaurants and 16 synagogues, Cohen pointed out, Panama is not only warm and welcoming to its resident Jewish communities \u2013 with Punta Paitilla its largest neighborhood \u2013 but is also an easy-to-access vacation paradise.<\/p>\n With its beautiful beaches, lakes, and parks, and a short plane ride from Miami, Cohen would like to see his country become \u201cthe next Thailand\u201d for Israelis looking for a beautiful \u2013 and secure \u2013 place to visit. Moreover, Anglos will be happy to know that about 80% of Panamanians are fluent English speakers.<\/p>\n Herzog\u2019s office agrees, stating that the country has \u201ctremendous tourism potential.\u201d<\/p>\n The beachside Playa de Nado \u2013 Deer Beach \u2013 is, in fact, home to about 300 Israelis, Cohen said, and has become the most expensive place to live in Panama, at $6,000 per square meter.<\/p>\n The restaurants in Panama, according to Cohen, are of high quality, with outstanding kashrut standards \u2013 not to mention outstanding steak at affordable prices that would put Israelis in happy sticker shock. \u201cWhen you have 52 restaurants for a population as small as the Jewish community in Panama, you realize that 70% of the customers are not Jewish but still patronize these restaurants. So they have very high culinary and cuisine standards, with low prices because of the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n While Panama is primarily a Christian country, it is also home to about 15,000 Muslims, who, according to the ambassador, are peaceful neighbors.<\/p>\n Mutual interests<\/p>\n Cohen is forging more than just tourism exchanges between Israel and Panama. He said there are numerous opportunities to share interests and many opportunities for cooperation.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael, for example, doesn\u2019t have water,\u201d he explained, \u201cyet it\u2019s excellent at managing water, so we must combine the two elements. Also, in terms of security, we have the canal, which we need to protect, so we\u2019re looking for ways to ensure that it is safe, not only from imminent attacks but also from cyberattacks.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are areas that Israel is expert at, and we look forward to working with Israel\u2019s expertise. We are signing a G-to-G [government-to-government] agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cEach government will assist the other in different areas,\u201d he elaborated. \u201cFor example, Israel needs workers for agriculture and construction. We have many workers in those fields.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment, we have less than 50 people working in Israel. We want to extend that to a substantial number.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also trying to look for solutions for the administration of the hospitals in Panama, administrative systems of medicines, inventory level, logistics, etc.,\u201d he said. \u201cIsrael is an expert. So those are some of the areas we are looking to discuss during this trip.\u201d<\/p>\n Drones, doctors, and dairy: the ultimate exchange<\/p>\n \u201cFour months ago,\u201d the ambassador said, \u201cthe Minister of Education of Panama, Lucy Molinar, came [to Israel] for an AI conference, and we took her to meet educators at some universities in Israel. She forged relationships with Ben-Gurion University and the University of Ariel, where they will be conducting exchange programs and creating scholarships in the fields of medicine and technology.\u201d<\/p>\n Israel has also arranged fellowships for Panamanian doctors at Hadassah-University Medical Center and Ichilov Hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael and Panama are both active and doers,\u201d Cohen added. \u201cThere are a lot of things we have in common, and much we can do together.\u201d<\/p>\n Panama is also interested in inviting Israeli technology companies, cybersecurity, and drone companies to explore opportunities for mutual trade.<\/p>\n \u201cWe share two borders with Colombia and Costa Rica, with lots of coastal waters, and surveillance is important, so it\u2019s very much necessary to have drone surveillance systems, which Israel is an expert at,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n With Panama playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the countries have arranged for the Panama soccer team to visit Israel. And they are working on more campaigns to encourage tourism in both directions. \u201cAs of now, we lack a direct flight,\u201d the ambassador conceded. But he is hoping to change that, so what should be a 13-hour flight isn\u2019t longer with stopovers.<\/p>\n As for the general temperature of the Panamanian public, Cohen said, \u201cSince the Oct. 7 war, Israel has been in the headlines every day. Unfortunately, Israel is losing the media war because of the numbers, but in general the atmosphere in Panama is that Israel has always been an ally to Panama. And Panama has been an ally to Israel. So, there is a good feeling toward one country\u00a0 Unlike Jews in other countries rushing to make aliyah, the ambassador said Panama\u2019s Jews are not leaving in huge numbers, since Panama has a healthy economy and very little antisemitism. Still, he noted, some Panamanians are buying vacation apartments in Israel.<\/p>\n President Herzog\u2019s trip to Costa Rica<\/p>\n
to the other. And it goes in both directions.\u201d<\/p>\n