More than 1,200 people attended the “Ibarra Blesses Israel” event in Ibarra, northern Ecuador, to showcase the “unity and cooperation between Ecuador and Israel” the Israeli embassy in Ecuador announced earlier this month.
“Our consul, [Sagi Rabovski], participated in this event, reaffirming the commitment to strengthen our relations through collaboration in key areas such as technology, agriculture, water management and education,” the embassy wrote.
The event was hosted in collaboration with the Evangelical Alliance of the Imbabura Province and Pastor David Silvestre at the Ibarra Christian Family Center.
In addition to being the consul of Israel to Ecuador, Rabovski is Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission to the South American country.
Also in attendance was Ecuador’s Vice President Verónica Abad Rojas and Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Director of Hispanic Affairs Shay Salamon.
Additional religious leaders were in attendance
Law enforcement personnel and religious leaders from Ecuador and Colombia were also in attendance, CAM noted.
Salamon addressed the crowd at the event, noting how, historically, hatred towards Jews ultimately spreads to affect other communities as well.
“The Western world must understand that what we see today does not begin and end with the Jews,” Salamon told the audience. “Hatred of the Jews, antisemitism, is a symptom of a broken and radicalized society. Freedom of worship is a fundamental right, and we have an obligation to defend it.”
While in Ibarra, Salamon spoke to local media outlets and held meetings with Vice President Rojas and Cosul Rabovski, CAM noted.