"To act righteously requires one to, first and foremost, recognize the reality of what is happening around them. Del Campo was a foreign diplomat who lived in Romania and saw what was happening to the Jews," said Steinfeldt. "Instead of saying, that it is none of my business and that I am not guilty of anything, he chose to open his eyes and act, and thus, endangered his position."
"Per Anger, a Swedish diplomat who lived in Budapest in 1944, said, as the Germans were conquering Hungary, that there is nothing in the company guidebook which tells us how we should behave in these situations. As such, these diplomats had to invent new ways [of helping endangered Jews]," she added.
Yad Vashem has recognized a number of diplomats as Righteous Among the Nations and is currently preparing a special exhibition together with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to honor them. On 23 November 2016, the Commission for the Designation of the Righteous Among the Nations decided to recognize Samuel Del Campo as Righteous Among the Nations.To date, Yad Vashem has recognized over 26,500 Righteous Among the Nations from around the world.