Israel will reopen its embassy in Panama, which was closed in 2002 due to budget cuts. Israel’s Costa Rica-based ambassador to Panama, Alexander Ben-Zvi, said the embassy should be ready to open in early 2005.
In a statement, the Panamanian Foreign Ministry said it is “pleased” with the decision. Panama hosts a Jewish community of around 8,000, by far the largest Jewish community in Central America. After closing the embassy, the former embassy site was sold, but Ben-Zvi said Israel retained possession of a floor of an office building in Panama City that has sat vacant and will now be refurbished to house the reopened diplomatic delegation. Until the embassy reopens, Ben-Zvi will continue carrying out his duties from the embassy in San Jose, which also serves as the embassy to Nicaragua.
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.
