Argentine Government Promises to Investigate Anti-semitic Incidents

The Argentine government has promised the Jewish community that it will investigate a recent rash of anti-Semitic incidents and take measures to prevent their recurrence, the World Jewish Congress’ Latin American branch reported here today.

The promise was offered by the Undersecretary of the Interior Guillermo Lascano Quintana at a meeting in Buenos Aires with representatives of the Delegacion de Associaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), the central body of Argentine Jewry. The delegation was headed by DAIA president Sion Cohen Imach who reported on the meeting. The DAIA is an affiliate of the WJC.

The Jewish leaders met with Quintana “to express the concern of the Argentine Jewish community in view of the renewal of anti-Semitic incidents,” Cohen Imach said. He noted that in the past three months, anti-Semitic graffiti has appeared on the walls of synagogues and threats have been made against Jewish schools.

Anti-Jewish publications, including non-registered periodicals, are being sold at newsstands, he said. They include such titles as “Alerta”, “Masoneria” and “Papeles.” In none of them is the publisher identified. “Papeles” carried an advertisement for Aerolineas Argentinas, the national airline. But the airline told the DAIA that the ad was not authorized, Cohen Imach said.

He said Quintana was given a full account of these developments and promised that the government would inquire into their source and take preventive measures.