Dr. Israel Goldstein Reports on Anti-semitism in Argentina

While anti-Semitic incidents in Argentina are not widespread, they are a source of worry because they are recurrent and because police authorities seem unwilling to stop them by tracking down and arresting the culprits, Dr. Israel Goldstein, world chairman of the United Israel Appeal, reported here.

Dr. Goldstein, who recently spent two weeks in Argentina, arrived here from Jerusalem for his annual High Holy Day visit to Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, of which he is Rabbi Emeritus. He disclosed at a press conference here that, during his stay in Buenos Aires, “it was necessary for me to be accompanied to public meetings by a Jewish bodyguard.”

He noted that Argentine Government spokesmen have denounced the outbreaks “but there seemed to be a gap between government authority and local police authority in Buenos Aires.” Dr. Goldstein charged Capt. Horacio Green, the Federal police chief, both with failure to act and with possessing “an anti-Semitic bias which makes it doubtful if, under his regime, any substantial improvement of the situation can be expected.”

(An Associated Press correspondent reported today from Buenos Aires that, at a private meeting which he attended there, 24-year-old Alberto Ezcurra, leader of the Tacuara movement, declared the “mission” of this anti-Semitic group is to “fight against capitalism and Zionism with one hand, and with the other against Communism.” At the meeting, the newsman reported, 30 youths were sworn into membership in Tacuara at a ceremony where the Nazi salute was given.” The correspondent quoted Ezcurra as saying: “Tacuara is treated much better under this Government than it was under President Arturo Frondizi’s regime.”)