Mexico City, March 14, 2023.- As part of the celebration of UP International Day, celebrated by International Affairs, Universidad Panamericana received Zvi Tal, Israel's ambassador to Mexico, at its facilities. In an interview, the ambassador spoke about the similarities between Israeli and Mexican culture, as well as the way in which his country seeks to impact ours.
Long-lasting ties
This year marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Mexico, which, according to Zvi Tal, began on July 1, 1952 and have been framed by ties of cultural, commercial and, of course, political cooperation.
However, the ambassador emphasizes that for him the most important relationship is the one between "humans, between civil societies, which is a more lasting relationship" .
"Today we use the word sustainable, because obviously there are changes in the leadership of countries, there are sometimes complex situations and interests that can generate tensions and conflicts, that 's why the closeness between citizens and civil societies are so important to me," he explains.
He adds the importance of being close to academic institutions such as Panamericana: "In its multiple facets of education, research and the commitment of students to be responsible citizens and citizens who contribute to the development of their country," he says.
Meeting points
The ambassador points out that what most caught his attention when he arrived in Mexico was how the indigenous languages and the traces of the Mayas have been preserved, "it is something that touches our hearts," he says.
"As Jews we try also in Israel, which is a country of migrants, to preserve the cultural heritage of 70 different ethnic communities, because Jews come from almost 70 different countries (...) this multiculturalism enriches the reality of each country, and we have that in common," he says.
Improving the world
Zvi Tal states that the Jewish community has learned from their ancestors the discipline and support of the members of their community. However, he states that one of the most relevant lessons learned is Tikun Olam.
The literal translation of this Hebrew phrase is "repair the world", or as he puts it, "repair the world to make it a better place for humanity", an idea that relates to our Pan-American mission to contribute to the construction of a better world .
"We are a very small country compared to Mexico, but we do have advantages in the field of technological innovation, so we want to offer our best practices, our experience so that living conditions improve, so that we can all live in a more pleasant environment and improve the quality of life in general," he says.
Seizing opportunities
Finally, the ambassador took the opportunity to leave a message to all the students of our university: "Take advantage of this period in your life that will not come back and that I personally miss.
"(Being a student) is an environment that protects and offers opportunities almost without borders. It is the right time to invest efforts, to unburden oneself and from there go out into life with a rich baggage, with a toolbox to face the challenges of society and the country," he suggests.
For his part, he extends his sincere thanks to the professors for the gratitude he still has for those who were his university professors in Jerusalem: "for the extremely important role they play and I hope they can continue in an environment of academic freedom with the necessary resources, because it is not always easy," he concludes.
