A general anxiety permeates the Jewish community in Buenos Aires. It isn’t actually fear but a pervasive feeling of uncertainty and unease. In six weeks–May 25–the present government of President Alejandro Lanusse will be replaced by that of President-elect Dr. Hector J. Campora. In effect, Peronism will again be in power.
Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires, including officials of the DAIA, the representative body of Argentine Jewry, told this visitor time and again that anti-Semitism is unlikely to become a political factor in the life of the country. They were extremely skeptical that the Campora government would espouse any anti-Semitism but that the domestic and international politics of the new government might exacerbate feelings against Jews and encourage a form of unofficial anti-Semitism in certain sections of the population and among some of the government officials.
JEWS DISTURBED BY MEETING WITH ARAB ENVOYS
Frequently during this visitor’s stay in Buenos Aires last week, Jewish spokesmen asserted that “Jews face very difficult times.” Two DAIA representatives characterized the forthcoming situation thusly: “We are in an expectant situation. There is no panic, but there is a state of alert as there always is when changes take place that can affect the life of our community.”
What makes the situation so expectant is the juxtaposition of an economic crisis that is gripping the country; a consolidation of extreme right-wing and Nazi elements in the loose coalition that today characterizes Peronism; a powerful left-wing within the coalition that is drumming up anti-Zionist and anti-Israel sentiment; the many Jewish youths who are part of this left-wing of Peronism; and flirtation with the Arab states.
Last week, Jewish community leaders expressed concern when the former Argentine dictator, Juan Domingo Peron, and Vice-President Elect Dr. Vincente Solano Lima, met in Madrid with the ambassadors of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, Algeria and Iraq. Some Jewish leaders saw this meeting as a direct result of the influence exerted by some of Peron’s close advisers who have expressed extreme anti-Semitic feelings in the recent past, and as a concrete manifestation of Peron’s “Third World” position: Neither imperialism nor Communism.
Despite this, the official position on the parts of the Jewish community leaders continues to be that Argentina has traditionally adopted a policy of “equidistance” (even handedness) in the Middle East conflict and would presumably and hopefully continue this after May 25.
ARGENTINA NOT UGANDA
“We refuse to speculate on what will happen after May 25, so far as the Jewish community and Israel is concerned,” the DAIA spokesmen said. “It would be counter-productive.” One very high and informed source in the community asserted “Argentina is not Uganda. Peron is not Idi Amin. Argentina cannot be bought.” The reference was to President Idi Amin of Uganda who expelled Israeli technical and military advisers and diplomats from his country last year apparently after accepting a large financial subvention from Libya.
But when one leader was asked why Peron’s “equidistant” policy was not equidistant enough to have also suggested a meeting with an Israeli representative, he stated that this is a matter for Israel to consider.
The anxiety about the return of Peronism arises basically from the alignment of several forces and developments:
1) Economics: There is rampant inflation. Figures released by the national statistics board showed that the cost of living rose by 8.6 percent in March, which brought the hike since Jan. up 22.7 percent and 76.5 percent in the last 12 months. Not only has this caused severe hardship and, in some cases economic ruin for the Jewish middle class, but it can spark anti-Semitic feelings among workers who view Jews as part of the exploiting class in Argentina and as part of the international imperialist cartel.
2) Political: Peron’s theory of synarchy has provided a rationale for a coalition of the most diverse political groups. Last April Peron himself defined synchronism when he met with Lanusse’s emissary in Madrid, Col. Francisco Cornicelli, and told him that”….We were faced with the imperialist power (U.S.A.) and with the great international synarchy managed from the United States, comprising Communism, capitalism, Judaism and the Catholic Church – which takes part when it is paid.” The main bugaboo, however, is Judaism which is seen as the front for capitalism and Communism. Dr. Campora, in his first address to the nation this week, assuaged the feelings of Catholics by declaring that he is “a Christian and a Catholic.”
3) Social: Many Jewish youths have been attracted to Peronism because of its anti-imperialist and anti-Communist views. In fact, it is a strange situation in which Jews and former Nazi elements – along with right-wing, left-wing and conservative, and military elements–are all part of the justicialist liberation front. Each element in the front hopes that after May 25 its particular point of view will become the dominant one in the government. There is no way, at this point, to determine which element will in fact gain hegemony.
It is this mercurial situation which provides the basis for the anxiety within the Jewish community. Their greatest concern is that with the best of intentions on the part of Dr. Campora and the new government, this alignment of forces will generate “a cloudy future” for the Jews. “Therefore,” one spokesman noted, “the greatest measure of alertness is called for the events to occur within the next few weeks.”
Whatever happens, it is the consensus that May 25 will be a day of reckoning and the beginning of what some call a new era in the life of Argentina.
The Universidad Del Salvador, a Jesuit institution in Buenos Aires, has introduced courses in the Hebrew language, Jewish post-Biblical history and Biblical philosophy in its school of Oriental Studies, it was announced today. The courses represent a new departure for universities in this country. The endeavor, was supported by the Latin American office of the American Jewish Committee headed by Jacobo Kovadloff with the assistance of the Rev. Father Dr. Ismael Quiles, Rector of the university.
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