Popular Articles

Top 40 Latin American Pro-Israel Advocates And Leaders, Part 1

This week in TheJ.ca: profiles of the first ten influencers

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

As pro-Israel Christians and Jews in Latin America have made a large political and societal impact, JNS has compiled a list of such influencers.

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

Israel maintains full diplomatic relations with all the countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean region (with the exception of Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela), and in recent years, pro-Israel Latin American influencers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have further transformed the relationship. JNS has published a top 40 list which, for reasons of space, is being presented in 4 parts in TheJ.ca, as we recognize the achievements of these notable Zionists:

(JNS) The Jewish Diaspora in Latin America began with Spanish and Portuguese expeditions in the 15th century, and to date the Jewish population in Latin America remains strong, concentrated largely in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Since the U.N. General Assembly vote on Nov. 29, 1947, in which 13 of the 20 Latin American member nations voted in favor of the establishment of two states—one Jewish and one Arab—in British Mandate Palestine, the relationship between Latin America and Israel has expanded, especially through cooperation in the fields of agriculture, medicine, science and technology.

Israel maintains full diplomatic relations with all the countries of Central and South America, and the Caribbean region (with the exception of Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela). In recent years, pro-Israel Latin American influencers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have further transformed the relationship.

According to surveys, nearly 20 percent of Latin Americans are evangelical Christians, as well as nearly 30 percent in Brazil and more than 40 percent in much of Central America. Evangelical support has been attributed to the election of pro-Israel Latin American governments and pro-Israel political decisions such as Guatemala’s moving of the country’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

As pro-Israel Christians and Jews in Latin America have made a large political and societal impact, JNS has compiled a list of such influencers, which is by no means exhaustive (or ranked), including seasoned and up-and-coming activists and leaders from all walks of life.

May Samra (Mexico) @enlacejudio

May Samra. Source: Screenshot.

May Samra is the director and editor in chief of Mexican Jewish news site, Enlace Judio, which represents the most widely read Jewish media in the Spanish world, reaching millions of people every month. The platform contains local and international news about Israel, Jewish traditions and customs, and more. Samra was born in Lebanon and lives in Mexico City.

Get thej.ca a Pro Israel Voice by Email. Never miss a top story that effects you, your family & your community

Leopoldo Martínez (Venezuela) @IAF_ES

Leopoldo Martinez. Credit: Courtesy.

Leopoldo Martínez currently serves as the Israel Allies Foundation’s Latin America director, working with pro-Israel parliamentarians and political leaders in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Prior to joining IAF, Martínez, a Venezuelan-American, worked as a researcher, writer and editor for political and economic Latin American issues in various organizations in Washington, D.C.

Jimmy Morales (Guatemala) @jimmymoralesgt

Guatemala’s former President Jimmy Morales at the 2018 AIPAC Conference. Credit: AIPAC.

Jimmy Morales served as the 50th president of Guatemala from 2016 to 2020. On Dec. 24, 2017, he announced that the Guatemalan embassy in Israel would move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the second national leader to decide to make such a move.

Lucy Cosme Thormann (Dominican Republic) @LucyCosme

Lucy Cosme Thormann. Source: Twitter.

Lucy Cosme Thormann is a Christian pastor, philanthropist and author from the Dominican Republic who now lives in Miami. She is an outspoken friend of Israel and has opened several pro-Israel ministries in the Dominican Republic, United States, and soon, Europe.

Maida Paz Callau (Bolivia)

Maida Paz Callau. Credit: Camara de Diputados.

Maida Paz Callau is a Bolivian diplomat who requested as one of her first matters of business to re-establish relations with Israel. Following the ousting of Evo Morales, she sent an official letter to the Bolivian Minister of Foreign Affairs, saying “as a Christian deputy, I want this to be restored.”

Isaac de Castro (Panama) @isaacdecastrog

Isaac de Castro. Source: Twitter.

Isaac de Castro, originally from Panama and who attends Cornell University in New York, is the founder of Jewish on Campus, an Instagram account that records the stories of Jewish students from around the United States who have experienced anti-Semitism on campus. He is a co-host of the podcast “Jewish Identity Crisis,” which explores the lives and experiences of multi-cultural, diaspora Judaism. He advocates for Jews and Israel on social media with the stated goal of “amplifying Jewish voices” and striving for university action to fight anti-Semitism.

Juan Orlando Hernández (Honduras) @JuanOrlandoH

Isaac de Castro. Source: Twitter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández in Jerusalem on Oct. 29, 2015. Credit: Kobi Gideon/GPO.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández assumed office in 2014 and began his second term in 2018. In 2020, he officially declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization and announced his plans to move the Honduran embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem—announcements that proved controversial due to the high population of Palestinians in Honduras.

Leah Soibel (Argentina) @FuenteLatina

Leah Soibel, founder and CEO of Fuente Latina conducting an interview. Source: Facebook.

Leah Soibel is a Latin media expert and founder of the U.S.-based, pro-Israel NGO Fuente Latina, which works to connect Israel to the Spanish-speaking world. Soibel founded Fuente Latina in 2012, the same year that Iran launched its anti-Israel Spanish language channel HispanTV. Soibel’s organization ensures that global Spanish-language media have the facts, interviews and access to decision makers they need to accurately cover Israel.

Andrés Isaac Roemer (Mexico) @RoemerAndres

Andrés Isaac Roemer. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Andrés Isaac Roemer is the former Mexican Ambassador to UNESCO, who knowingly risked his position by leaving the UNESCO voting hall rather than follow the instructions he had received from his government to vote in favor of a UNESCO resolution 2335 whose language stripped the Temple Mount and Western Wall of their Jewish names, thereby denying Jewish roots to Jerusalem. While the resolution passed, and Roemer was recalled and removed from his post, his moral courage convinced several countries, including his own, to reverse the resolution’s position.

José Achar (Mexico)  {No photo}

José Achar is president of Yajad Leeman Jayal, an organization established by founding father and the first prime minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, in 1942, which supports the well-being of soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.

Eliana Rudee is Jerusalem-based journalist, originally from Seattle. Her bylines have been featured in USA Today, Forbes, The Washington Times, among many other news outlets worldwide. She volunteers for the Hitorerut party as their English Spokesperson and works in journalism and marketing for Breaking Israel News and Israel365.  

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

Read More

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content

Previous slide
Next slide

LATEST ARTICLES

cOMING SOON…….

Breaking News

Recent

Features

News

Current Events

Opinions

Politics

Religion

Culture

Memoriam and Obituaries

PodcastS

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

About Us

Advertise with us

contact 

Subscribe Now

Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox

© 2020 THEJ.CA, All Rights Reserved

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

About Us

Advertise with us

contact 

Subscribe Now

Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox

© 2020 THEJ.CA, All Rights Reserved

Subscribe Now

Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

About Us

Advertise with us

contact 

© 2020 THEJ.CA, All Rights Reserved