On the international stage, consensus is rarely unanimous. However, there are times when almost all countries move in the same direction, and the exception becomes especially visible.

In marked contrast to the rest of Latin America, Panama is the only country in the region that does not recognize the Palestinian State.

After Mexico broke with its principle of neutral diplomaticity this year - based on what is known as the Estrada doctrine - and adhered to the two-state solution, one Palestinian and one Israeli, the Panamanian government of Jose Raul Mulino has stood alone in Latin America.

And it happens so at a time when several countries took advantage of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this week to recognize the Palestinian State. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Portugal did so over the weekend, driven by the serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and France followed suit a day later.

The measure has been severely criticized by Israel, which describes these recognitions as a reward for Hamas.

The reasons why Panama maintains this position in its foreign policy have historical, commercial and diplomatic roots.

For example, after Israel's declaration of independence in May 1948, Panama became one of the first countries to recognize the creation of the Jewish state and to support the new country's entry into the United Nations as a full member.

The Israeli embassy in Panama also attributes to the Central American country a "historic" contribution to the birth of the Israeli Air Force, which served to deter the surrounding Arab countries from a possible invasion.

Support from the beginning

"The first plans arrived in the country through clandestine operations, due to the arms embargo of West. One of those operations involved moving 13 plans from the United States to Panama, registering them in the name of Panama Airlines. company that was created solely for that purpose. The first plane arrived in Israel on June 21, 1948,” the diplomatic office explains.

“Although Panama has a Lebanese and Syrian community that are very economically significant, alignment and support for Israel has always been an important part of the Panamanian identity,” Evan Ellis, a researcher specializing in Latin America at the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College, tells BBC Mundo.

“It played an important diplomatic role in the creation of the State of Israel in 1947 and has continued to support it over the years, especially in economic issues and cooperation in the defense sector," says Ellis.

Given its deep relationship with Israel, Panama does not recognize the State of Palestine nor does it maintain any kind of official relationship with the Palestinian Authority. This position has been evident in the way Panama has historically voted at the UN.

In 2012, it was the only nation in Latin America to vote against the Palestinians were granted “non-member observer state” status at the United Nations. The resolution passed with 138 votes in favor, but the small nation made its position clear. Shortly after the result was known, BBC Mundo spoke with the then Panamanian ambassador to the UN, Pablo Antonio Thalassidos, who stated that his government had always supported Israel. BBC Mundo contacted the current Panamanian government to gather their opinions on the wave of recognition the Palestinian state is receiving, but we did not receive a response before the publication of this article. Large Jewish community According to the 2023 International Report on Religious Freedom in Panama, Jewish leaders estimate that their community numbers around 15,000 members, located mainly in the capital. Panama is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in Central America and has had two presidents of Jewish descent in the 21st century XX.

Max Delvalle Maduro was vice president from 1964 to 1968, with a one-week stint as interim president in April 1967, and his nephew, Eric Arturo Delvalle Cohen-Henriquez, was president from 1985 to 1988, while dictator and military man Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno was Panama's de facto ruler. The current mayor of Panama City, Mayer Mizrachi Matalon, is also Jewish.

In another show of support for Israel, the government of Panama officially adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism in July 2023.

“Panama, as a country, has been very benevolent toward Jews,” Max Harari, president of the Central Jewish Community Council of Panama, told local media.organization that brings together the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities of the country. And he assured that “the Jewish community has been very involved in the development of this country.”

For Evan Ellis, the reasons behind this long-standing support are also linked to Panama's ties with the United States,an ally of Israel and with veto power in the United Nations Security Council.

In April, the Panamanian government signed a memorandum with the Trump administration allowing the US military to increase its presence in the Central American country, in an attempt to ease relations with its northern neighbor.

Since arriving at the White House last January, President Trump has stated that his government will “recover” the canal built by the Americans at the beginning of the 20th century and returned to Panama in 1999.

But the economic ties are also close and long-standing.

The first business delegation from Israel visited the Central American country in 1963, and the two countries signed a Free Trade Agreement that entered into force in 1998.

The Panamanian government has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Trump administration, which also allows the US military to increase its presence in the Central American country in 1963. in force on January 1, 2020.

It includes the elimination of tariffs on industrial goods, preferential treatment for fishery and agricultural products, as well as technological infrastructure, among other things.

In this context, it is difficult to imagine Panama supporting the creation of a Palestinian state, despite the fact that several authorities have praised the two-state solution in the past as a way to find peace.