Let’s continue writing our history together
Following the Israeli government's announcement that it would be closing its embassy in El Salvador in 2017, the El Salvadorian foreign minister recounts the exploits of the country's heroic former consul general in Geneva, who saved 13,000 Hungarian Jewish families from almost certain deportation to death camps.
When the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, the people of my country, El Salvador, will surely recall the heroism of a certain diplomat.
Coronel José Arturo Castellanos was the consul general of El Salvador in Geneva from 1942 to 1945. In that role, and with the assistance of businessman György Mandl, Castellanos issued Salvadoran travel documents to some 13,000 Hungarian Jewish families to save them from almost certain deportation to death camps.
It is possible that none of those who received these documents ever came to El Salvador. Yet we know that with those Salvadoran documents in hand, some 40,000 Jews were able to escape extermination.
Such humanitarian intervention is an example of the good work that diplomatic representations can do, particularly in times of conflict. The Salvadoran consulate in Geneva was able to help because it was on the ground, willing to help. Then as now, resident embassies and consulates – diplomatic offices located in the countries to which they are accredited, staffed by professional diplomats – are essential to building cooperation, friendship and peace between nations.
With his humanitarian actions, Castellanos wrote one of the greatest chapters of Salvadoran diplomacy. His actions in a sense also laid the groundwork for El Salvador’s recognition of the State of Israel in 1948, starting a relationship between our two nations that has since grown only stronger and deeper.
Furthermore, today Salvadoran Jews are proud sons of our nation. They’ve thrived in business and the arts, and contributed greatly to the development of our country, while deepening our political and cooperation bonds with Israel. Besides, Salvadorans are thankful for the Israel technical cooperation we’ve received in areas where Israel excels, such as agriculture, medicine, citizen security and entrepreneurship.
It is thus with surprise and dismay that El Salvador learned this month of Israel’s intention to close its embassy in our capital, San Salvador, in 2017.
We have been told this decision is due strictly to budgetary concerns. El Salvador also faces such challenges, and we know through our own experience the effects such cutbacks can have on the state’s impact. But we have always been resolute in maintaining our embassy in Israel because our relationship with Israel is a priority for our foreign policy, and because we recognize the dynamism that only resident embassies can bring to a bilateral relationship. Without a permanent Israeli embassy in San Salvador -- where the eight-nation, regional organization known as the Central American Integration System (SICA) has its headquarters -- coordination of our bilateral and regional work in all kinds of fields will be more difficult.
We view with great respect the decisions taken by our friends. But on this occasion, we hope that Israel will reconsider its decision and maintain its embassy in El Salvador, so that together we can write new chapters in our historic ties of friendship, cooperation and understanding. That noble son of El Salvador named Castellanos would expect no less.
As the Hebrew proverb goes, “don't look at the jar, but at what's inside it”. El Salvador may be unknown for a many Israelis today, it was indeed for thousands of Hungarians Jews who were saved by bearing certificates that identified them as nationals of this distant, tropical land in Central America. But let’s look at what’s inside the jar, let’s look at the many layers of history, cooperation and friendship that bind us together.
Without a permanent Israeli embassy in San Salvador - where the eight-nation, regional organization known as the Central American Integration System (SICA) has its headquarters - coordination of our bilateral and regional work in all kinds of fields will be more difficult.
Hugo Martínez is the foreign minister of El Salvador.
