Focus on Issues a Problematic Year for Jews in Latin America

The year now ending has been problematic for Latin American Jewry. The restoration of democratic civilian government in countries previously run by military dictatorships has had a powerful positive impact. Jews are playing a much larger role in public affairs and have been elected or appointed to high government office in unprecendented numbers.

But at the same time, anti-Semitism, especially from the far right, has taken on new virulence and is a cause of growing concern in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The avowed Jew-haters have adapted their tactics to the new political circumstances. Their approach is more sophisticated, and canards are hurled against Jews over issues in which Jews are in no way involved.

In Argentina, where the rightwing military is in disgrace and the government of President Raoul Alfonsin has been demonstrably friendly to Jews and aware of their concerns, anti-Semitic hate literature continues to be sold openly at most newspaper stands and bookstores and receives wider distribution than ever before, the World Jewish Congress reports.

A NEW TACTIC OF ANTI-SEMITISM

According to Edgardo Gorenberg, a psychologist and a leader of the DAIA, the representative body of Argentine Jewry and the WJC affiliate here, a favorite new tactic of anti-Semites is to associate Jews with the downfall of the junta.

At the end of a mass celebrated by a group of supporters of the former military regime, participants railed against reporters covering the event, shouting “Jews” to them the ultimate insult. At the end of another patriotic gathering commemorating an historical event in the 19th century, rightwingers protested loudly against what they called the “radical synagogue.”

They also condemned the controversial French film “Je Vous Salue Marie” (Hail Mary), anathema to traditional Roman Catholics which has been denounced by the Vatican. According to these protestors, the film is a product of “Jewish perfidy” although Jews were in no way involved in its production.

In San Juan province, a movement is growing for legislation that would permit only a Catholic to hold the office of provincial Governor. During the recent municipal elections in Brazil, neo-Nazis openly distributed their propaganda, despite strong protests by the Jewish Federation. In Curitiba, most observers believe that Jaime Lerner, a respected and popular Jewish candidate for office, was defeated because of his religion. Lerner’s opponents used the slogan, “Christian voters must vote for Christian candidates.”

In the city of Paysandu, Uruguay, a local labor conflict degenerated into an anti-Semitic propaganda offensive by neo-Nazis in the striking union who stressed that some of the owners of the struck company were Jews. Slogans such as “Hitler was right — a pity he’s not here” were flung about. The company filed suit and the matter is now pending in the courts.

ARAB ACTIVISTS ESCALATING EFFORTS

Quite apart from the anti-Semities, Arab activists, too, have escalated their efforts in Latin America. They have increased their infiltration of political parties, labor unions and universities, many of which respond to promises of “business with the Arab world.”

Jorge Nasser, who is close to the governing Revolutionary Democratic Party in the Dominican Republic, has been travelling extensively in Latin America in his capacity of president of the “Arab-Dominican Fraternity.” He spoke recently in Rio de Janeiro where he urged the countries of South America to make use of the benefits Arab capital and Arab markets could offer. Brazil has already sold large quantities of weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Its diplomacy in the Middle East has consistently favored the Arab cause.