The Jewish community in Argentina, reassured from the top levels of the new government that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated and the crimes of the previous authoritarian regime will be punished, is still in a state of emotional turmoil.
Jews suffered, perhaps disproportionately, from the excesses of the old military junta that ruled Argentina. Anti-Semitic propaganda in its most blatant forms was, if not officially inspired, generally condoned. Thousands of Jews, mostly young people, were among the tens of thousands of Argentines who “disappeared” and are presumed to have been murdered for political reasons.
The trauma of those days has not ended and is often manifested in recriminations against leaders of the so-called Jewish establishment who allegedly failed to react vigorously to the anti-Semitism, arbitrary arrests and kidnappings of Jews under the military dictatorship between March, 1976, and October, 1983.
The passions and heated controversies in the Jewish community were evident at the 11th Congress of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Argentina (Vaad Hakehilot) — the equivalent of the Council of Jewish Federation (CJF) in the United States –which ended here last week. It was the second major Jewish gathering in Buenos Aires this month, the first being the Sephardic Conference where the guest of honor was Israel’s former President, Yitzhak Navon.
ISRAEL CONCERNED OVER JEWISH ‘DISAPPEARED’
Navon, who is Sephardic, is a beloved figure of the Jewish community here. His presence was a demonstration of Israel’s deep concern over the condition of Argentine Jewry, as was the attendance at the Vaad Hakehilot Congress of, in addition to Navon, four members of the Knesset.
The visits of Labor MKs Uzi Baram and Rabbi Menachem Hacohen; Likud Liberal Dror Zeigerman; and Geula Cohen of the Tehiya Party, underlined Israel’s ongoing interest in the fate of the Jewish “disappeared,” many of whose families live in Israel; and with the problems of anti-Semitism and violations of human rights in general.
The clamor for justice and the pain over atrocities of the past permeated the Congress. Some voices were raised for unrestricted vengeance. There was bitter criticism of many who headed the Jewish community during the years of the military regime for their alleged passivity and self-censorship.
These included Nehemias Resnitzky and Mario Gorenstein, former presidents of the DAIA, the representative body of Argentine Jewry; and Jacobo Kovadloff, director of South American Affairs of the American Jewish Committee who was himself forced by the junta to leave Argentina.
But these men, and others, could bear silent wi?ness to the fact that they were caught up in events beyond their control and that they had acted, or failed to act, solely to save Jewish lives, not out of indifference.
The gathering was addressed by Interior Minister Antonio Troccoli, speaking on behalf of President Raul Alfonsin. He stressed the contributions of the Jewish community to the development of Argentina and called upon it to cooperate in building the new democratic reality.
Troccoli, who was warmly received by the assembly, noted that difficulties experienced by Jews coincide with authoritarian rule. Hatreds and misunderstandings have their roots in such regimes and “it is no wonder that the enemies of the rule of law are also the enemies of the Jewish community,” he said.
The Interior Minister gave assurances that the Alfonsin government “intends to punish any harassment or incitement to harassment of persons or groups, and will create new legal strictures and tighten existing ones against acts based on race, religion, nationality, sex or political ideas while at the same time, being careful not to restrict freedom of expression.”
He condemned anti-Semitic incidents which, he said, were perpetrated by people “who do not have faith in democracy.” The government stands ready to severely punish those who commit such crimes, he declared.
Dov Schmorak, Israel’s Ambassador to Argentina, spoke of events in the Middle East and expressed hope that the Argentine government might use its influence through its Third World position, to avoid the constant, arbitrary condemnation of Israel at international forums. Navon reaffirmed the bonds between Israel and diaspora Jewry. He said this strong link found its best expression in the Zionist movement.
MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS AND PANELS
There was a variety of meetings, workshops and panels during the Congress that focused on education, youth, culture, social research, organizational development, social assistance, relations between Israel and diaspora Jews, the situation of Jews in the Soviet Union and in Arab countries. The recommendations of these panels were adopted at the closing session.
A highlight of the Congress was a performance by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dalia Atlas at the Colon Opera House. In addition to the delegates, it was attended by senior Cabinet ministers, among them Foreign Minister Dante Caputo, Minister of Economy Bernardo Grinspun, Minister of Labor Antonio Mucci, and Minister of Education and Justice Alconada Aramburu.
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