The President of Costa Rica declared that he would "not give in to diplomatic terrorism" and move his nation’s Israeli Embassy out of Jerusalem.
Addressing the annual convention of B’nai B’rith International’s Caribbean District here, President Luis Alberto Monge said that he transferred the Costa Rican Embassy from Tel Aviv "not for military or economic reasons, but because of morality," and would not move it back again.
In recent months Arab nations, including Egypt, have threatened to act against any country considering moving its Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
The Costa Rican President was presented with B’nai B’rith’s Human Rights Award for his achievements in building a democracy in his country, and for fighting — prior to his election as President — against Communists for workers’ rights. He was also praised for moving the Embassy.
More than 300 persons attended the testimonial luncheon. Among them were Panama President Jorge Illueca; the Ambassadors of the United States, Israel and the Caribbean countries; Costa Rican and Panamanian government officials, and Jewish and Christian church leaders.
During a business meeting, B’nai B’rith District 23 representatives elected Isaac Galinski of Cali, Colombia, president. He succeeds Moises Mizrachi of Panama. Galinski, a graduate of Harvard University’s Business School, is founder and partner in Galinski Industries, an investment and development firm. District 23 includes Central America, Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean Islands.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
