This July 18th marks the 30th anniversary of the horrific attack on the AMIA building, the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The bombing claimed the lives of 85 innocent people and wounded 330 more.
Even three decades later, the emotional scars remain raw for survivors, and the attack's memory is deeply etched in the collective consciousness of Argentina and Jewish communities globally. Year after year, memorial assemblies and events ensure the victims are never forgotten.
This year's AMIA memorial takes on a new and complex dimension, overshadowed by the ongoing war in Gaza and the alarming rise of global anti-Semitism. In this somber context, the World Jewish Congress will convene a special three-day conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The event will not only honor the victims of the AMIA attack but also engage in critical discussions on contemporary issues, with a particular focus on the surge of anti-Semitism across Latin America following the "Swords of Iron" war.
The "Building a Safer Future" conference, opening July 16th, will feature debates, roundtables, and sessions tackling anti-Semitism on both a global and regional scale. Participants will delve into the multifaceted nature of anti-Semitism as it impacts Jewish communities worldwide.
The conference aims to raise awareness of contemporary anti-Semitism and foster collaborative strategies to combat Jew hatred, delegitimization of Israel, and strengthen ties between Israel and supportive Latin American nations.
A high-profile delegation from Israel, along with leaders of Jewish communities and organizations, will join the conference in Buenos Aires. Additionally, government representatives coordinating anti-Semitism efforts will be present, including Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism. The conference will also feature Internal Security Ministers from various countries and counter-terrorism specialists.
At the core of the events is the memorial ceremony for the victims, including the unprecedented presence of three Latin American presidents: Santiago Peña Palacios - President of Paraguay, Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou - President of Uruguay, and Javier Gerardo Milai - President of Argentina.
The participation of the three presidents is an event whose importance cannot be ignored, particularly given the overt lack of support expressed by other presidents, including the Colombian, who went so far as to compare the war in Gaza to the Warsaw ghetto.
The willingness of these three countries to stand alongside us during this conflict, demands that we continue to strengthen and develop our ties with them. At the same time, we must display our solidarity with Jewish communities in other Latin American countries and assist their community leaders to nurture a Jewish way of life that is free of violence and harassment.
Jew-hatred disguised as anti-Zionism
Leading up to the conference, the WJC has prepared a detailed report on the state of anti-Semitism in Latin America since the beginning of the "Swords of Iron" war. It clearly emerges from the report that since the 7th of October, 2023, there has been a rise in anti-Semitic incidences on the continent - whether demonstrations in the forms of marches for Palestinians, breaking headstones at Jewish cemeteries or disgraceful graffiti sprayed across Jewish community buildings.
A more dramatic increase was noted in anti-Semitic comments on social media. All of these may have settled down somewhat over time, however, they remain clear and present to a degree that ought to concern us all.
At the same time, it's important to note that on the other hand, some positive initiatives to combat anti-Semitism arose from various universities and legal organizations who expressed support for Israel. In several countries, there were even pro-Israel rallies, including a huge one in Brazil in February of this year, which boasted hundreds of thousands of participants.
Some estimates claim that there may have been as many as two million people there. This rally stood in clear contrast to the serious allegations expressed by Brazil's president, Lula Da Silva, who accused Israel of carrying out "genocide" against the Palestinians in Gaza, compared Israel to the Nazis, and even claimed that "the war in Gaza is being fought between an especially well-trained army and women and children".
Silva, as we've said, is not alone. Chilean President Gabriel Boric is not ashamed to express his clearly anti-Israeli position. He called his ambassador in for consultation following "unacceptable breaches of international humanitarian law which Israel has undertaken in Gaza", later forbidding the Israeli security industry from participating in the Latin American Flight and Space Fair.
A similar process occurred in Honduras, when after many years of pro-Israel policy, which included moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the country revised its policy vis-à-vis Israel. A month after the massacre in the Gaza Envelope settlements, the Honduran president, Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, recalled the ambassador "in light of the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza".
it’s worth mentioning that three countries cut off diplomatic relations with Israel in recent years; Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, based on previous rounds of conflict in Gaza. The common denominator among all of these countries, as well as Colombia, Brazil, and Honduras, is a radical left, anti-Zionist government.
What was it that Martin Luther King, the human rights warrior, once said? "You declare that you don't hate Jews, that you are merely against Zionism. And I say – let the bells of truth ring from the mountain tops, let them ring in the depths of G-d's green earth: when people criticize Zionism, they mean the Jews".
Nurturing ties with local leadership
Despite the complex situation in which large countries like Brazil – which contains a large Jewish community of about 90,000 people – are hostile to us, we must not despair or withdraw from the two-fold fight for Israel and against anti-Semitism as we do in those countries that are currently friendly to Israel.
As always, the personal and national stories are bound up in one another and so is mine. My late paternal grandfather, Rabbi Moshe Menachem Getsztain, was born in Warsaw and later lived out his life as a leader of the Jewish community in a small city called Curitiba, in Brazil. This was where he was shot by an anti-Semite attacker, on the city's outskirts. He was saved but later died as a result of medical complications following the serious injury to his head.
Whether we are referring to Brazil, Colombia, or Chile, it is crucial to remember that prior to the rise to power of the radical left in these and other countries, Israel enjoyed good relations with nearly all Latin American states.
The UN committee which consolidated the Partition Plan of 1947 (UNSCOP), initiated the decision which led to the establishment of the State of Israel. The committee included numerous delegates from the region, including Prof. Enrique Rodriguez Fabregat of Uruguay and Dr. Jorge Garcia Grandos of Guatemala, who expressed their admiration for the Zionist effort and their social and settlement experience.
These delegates organized the remaining Latin American ambassadors into a significant body of votes in favor of the plan, without whom it would never have passed in the General Assembly. In a moment of historical irony, it was actually Argentina who abstained from the vote. The President of the General Assembly of the UN, Osvaldo Arana of Brazil, was a friend of Israel and delayed the debate until the desired majority could be obtained.
In other words, Israel and the countries of Latin America share a long-standing relationship, and it is incumbent upon us to maintain and nurture it. In the end, governments do not always fully represent public opinion. For example, at the peak of fighting in Gaza, a delegation of governors and mayors from key countries in Central America including Chile and Honduras arrived on a visit.
Thus, local leaders, who are familiar with the Jewish communities, play an important role in the struggle against anti-Semitism, and we must strengthen our ties with them. At the same time, it is crucial that we empower the Jewish communities themselves, particularly those who are not being supported by governments, such as Peru, Colombia, and Brazil, in light of the immense challenges they face.
A call to action
Three decades have passed since the attack, described by the justice system in Argentina as a crime against humanity, however, the shadow of pain continues to surround our collective memory. It meets us nine months after the seventh of October, against a background of a horrific wave of anti-Semitism.
The intersection of the events creates a unique significance for the memorial events. Nonetheless, this intersection finds us more determined than ever to combat anti-Semitism, and we are blessed by the powerful resilience of the Jewish communities.
The gathering in Argentina is an important opportunity to once again raise the world's awareness of the horrific acts and of the need to maintain a determined fight against anti-Semitism which could fuel future violent incidents.
In this sense, memorializing the victims of the attack in Argentina goes beyond a mere act of pain- it is a call to action.
It is our duty to leverage this Memorial Day to strengthen our Jewish identity and create community resilience. We must once again emphasize the importance of solidarity in general and Jewish solidarity in particular.
At the same time, we need to work to generate more effective international partnerships in order to detain the old-new Jew-hatred, through connecting government, NGO, Jewish and non-Jewish organizations with public opinion makers and academic researchers.
We must work together against anti-Semitism, with all those who wish well in the various countries, and this needs to happen at the individual, community, and government levels.
It is our duty to highlight the Jewish people's long struggle for human justice and freedom and to demand action in areas including education, legislation, and law enforcement.
This conference is intended to remind us of the importance of constant vigilance, community solidarity, and a strengthening of Jewish identity in the face of threats. Only through a combination of memory, a determined struggle against anti-Semitism, and nurturing international ties, will Jewish communities around the globe be able to face the challenges of the future.
The author is the Chair of the World Jewish Congress in Israel.