An Argentine Jewish leader warned here last night that the phenomenon of anti-Semitism in Argentina continues and incidents of hatred against Jews still take place.
“In Argentina, virulent anti-Jewish slogans are fomented at every opportunity,” Jose Camji, vice president of the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA), the representative body of the Jewish community in Argentina, told the 71st National Commission meeting of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith which opened yesterday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Camji noted, for example that on April 2, the anniversary of the Malvinas (Falklands) war, “demonstrators of the extreme right sang ‘down with the radical synagogue.'”
“Let us not be fooled,” Camji urged, “Jewish hatred continues. For this reason, we believe that the DAIA in Argentina and the ADL here must outline a strategy to fight our common enemies — anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism linked to a campaign of defamation against the State of Israel, to destroy and deform its image.”
JOINT ACTION CALLED FOR
Calling for a joint campaign with American Jewry to fight anti-Semitism, which he said is the “eternal enemy” of the Jewish people, Camji said that “The DAIA’s fight against anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and defense of human rights is recognized by the Argentine democratic society. The respect that its conduct deserves is endorsed by the attitude of political, social and cultural personalities in the country that come into contact with the DAIA or refer to it.”
Camji said that the actions of DAIA against anti-Semitism “are based fundamentally on responding to any anti-Semitic aggression, and demanding and denouncing any anti-Jewish outbreaks.” He noted that last April the entire executive body of DAIA went to the city of Resario in order to participate in protests to repudiate two anti-Semitic incidents against synagogues in that Argentinian city.
In addition, Camji said, DAIA has proposed a law which is presently under study in Argentina’s Congress, banning racial discrimination. He added that his organization believes that legal means must be accompanied by education if anti-Semitism is to be eliminated.
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