Argentine Jews angry at report on embassy bombing

BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 26 (JTA) — Argentine Jews reacted with skepticism — and some animosity — to news that Argentina’s highest court believes Islamic Jihad terrorists “might have been involved” in the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy here. “It’s very easy to blame Hezbollah or Jihad,” said a Jewish community official. “Israel will like that. The hard part is to investigate the Argentines that helped carry out the bombing. “Our government does not want to do that, because they probably were cops,” the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Argentine Supreme Court is charged with investigating the bombing, which left 29 dead and more than 100 wounded. The court made the reference to Islamic Jihad while clearing four Pakistani nationals who were briefly detained after the bombing. “According to statements made shortly after the bombing, Islamic Jihad might have been involved,” the judges wrote. They made no mention of any help provided to the attackers by local sympathizers, despite the fact that several Argentine police officers are charged with involvement in the 1994 Buenos Aires bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center, which killed 86 people. Jewish leaders here and abroad have cited incompetence, corruption and anti- Semitism among security and government officials as causes of Argentina’s inability to solve either case.