Herzog at Panama Canal: Israel, Panama Have ‘So Much to Share Together’

Israeli President Isaac Herzog stood at the Panama Canal on Wednesday during the first-ever visit by an Israeli president to Panama, saying Israel and Panama have “so much to share together” as the two countries move to deepen ties.

Herzog arrived in Panama City as part of a Central America trip that will also take him to Costa Rica. The visit combined diplomatic meetings, strategic cooperation talks and a meeting with Panama’s Jewish community, the largest in Central America.

It is a great honor to be the first Israeli President to visit Panama.

I thank President @JoseRaulMulino, his government, and the people of Panama for their enduring friendship with the State of Israel.

¡Viva Israel! ¡Viva Panamá! ????

כבוד גדול עבורי להיות הנשיא הישראלי… pic.twitter.com/3o9uCvFXiB

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) May 7, 2026

“This is the first state visit of an Israeli President in Panama, a historic visit, thereby connecting and upgrading the relations between our nations in so many fields,” Herzog said at the Panama Canal. “From water treatment to technology, from science to agriculture, we have so much to share together.”

Herzog also met with leaders, rabbis, educators, students and members of Panama’s Jewish community, which is estimated at 12,000 to 15,000 people. He described the community as a “vital human bridge” between Israel and Panama.

“At a time when antisemitism has risen so dramatically across the globe, Panama gives an example and remains largely a sanctuary of tolerance and mutual respect,” Herzog said.

Later Wednesday, Herzog was welcomed by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino at the Presidential Palace in Panama City. The two presidents held a private meeting, followed by an expanded bilateral meeting with officials from both countries.

“It is a tremendous honor for me to stand here today, as the first President of the State of Israel to visit Panama,” Herzog said. He thanked Mulino for the welcome and noted Panama’s support for Israel at the time of the Jewish state’s establishment.

The two sides discussed cooperation in water management, technology, innovation, science, agriculture, health, commerce, cybersecurity, logistics and security. According to Panama’s presidency, the talks also addressed strengthening the free trade relationship between the countries and possible Israeli assistance on water challenges in Panama’s Azuero Peninsula.

Herzog also used the visit to warn that Iran’s threat is not limited to the Middle East. He said Israel has faced a multi-front war since the October 7 massacre, including threats from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

“Iran’s terror regime and its proxies reach far beyond the Middle East. Latin America has felt the long arm of Iranian terror,” Herzog said.

He cited the 1994 Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 bombing in Panama, which killed 20 people and has been attributed to Hezbollah. “Right here on Panama’s soil, Hezbollah murdered 20 innocent civilians in a horrific terror attack in 1994,” Herzog said.

At the Panama Canal, Herzog connected Panama’s role in global maritime passage to current threats against international shipping. He contrasted the canal with Iranian-backed disruptions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.

“We must all stand up firmly against any blockage of maritime capability and movement around the world,” he said.

Mulino called the visit a milestone in relations between the countries. “This visit marks, without a doubt, a historic milestone in Israel-Panama relations,” he said, describing the relationship as one built on trust, mutual respect and cooperation over more than seven decades.

From Panama, Herzog is expected to travel to Costa Rica, where he will attend the May 8 inauguration of President-elect Laura Fernández Delgado and meet international leaders and representatives of the local Jewish community.