An appeal for more rigorous action against anti-Semitic elements in Latin America was voiced by Mare Turkow, the executive director of the World Jewish Congress South American Executive, at a meeting of the American Section of the World Jewish Congress here. Mr. Turkow is on a visit to the United States and Canada before returning to his headquarters in Buenos Aires from Israel where he attended the World Zionist Congress.
The WJC’s Latin American expert said there was anti-Semitism in many Latin American countries, but he did not believe that this was the main danger to Jews. There were other factors–the problems stemming from the upheavals in the political and social life of many Latin American countries; the potential danger from the assimilationist tendency among Jewish youth, and from the lack of intensive Jewish cultural activity.
Mr. Turkow stated, however, that the greater danger to the Jews in Latin America came from the activities of the Arab agents bent upon stirring up enmity against the Jews throughout Latin America. There was no doubt about the viewpoint of the various Latin American governments in their abhorrence of and opposition to anti Semitism, Mr. Turkow reported, but expressed his belief that more rigorous action should be taken by governments to check anti-Semitic groups and their activities.
The WJC Latin American representative recognized the concern of Jewish communities in other lands over events affecting Latin American Jews; however, he contended that Jewish communities in other countries should consult with the affected communities before taking any action.
Discussing the activity of Arab League agents in their attempts to incite the Latin American masses against the Jews, Mr. Turkow said that their basic intention was to strike at Israel and the Zionist movement, and in so doing, they were supporting violent anti-Semites and anti-Semitic organizations for their own ends. He also reported that there were Nazi groups in many parts of Latin America, supported politically and financially by the Arab incitement and propaganda machine.
Emphasizing that there was no call for panic, he said that the Jews in Latin America had to remain alert and aware of the situation, and he saw the bonds existing between the WJC and the various Latin American Jewish communities as the channel for information that would keep Jewry throughout the world abreast of all developments.
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