The OAS creates a charge to combat anti-Semitism in Latin America: 'There are campaigns that try to delegitimize Israel'

06/13/2021 8:59 PM

• Clarín.com

• World

Updated 06/13/2021 9:21 PM

In order to show his support for Israel, Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced that they will create

an office against anti-Semitism

in Latin America that will be headed by a commissioner.

"There are campaigns that try to delegitimize Israel,"

Almagro said at the Global Forum of the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

And he added: "I want to say it loud and clear: calling for the disappearance of the State of Israel

is an act of terrorism

and is plain and simple anti-Semitism."

Almagro recalled in this context the terrorist attack against

the AMIA headquarters

in 1994 and against the

Israeli Embassy

in 1992, both in Buenos Aires, stating that "anti-Semitism has had traumatic and violent dimensions in our region."

He also cited as background the attacks against the Jewish community in Chile and the use of anti-Semitism as an ideological political tool. 

"All are clear examples of threats not only against Jewish communities, but against

the society to which they belong,

" he emphasized.

Diplomatic friction

Argentina comes from having

diplomatic friction with Israel over its position in the conflict with Hamas.

It was after the Foreign Ministry issued a statement in May in which it established the government's position regarding the war in the Gaza Strip, condemning Israel for the

"disproportionate use of force" against the Palestinians.

Argentina's vote at the

United Nations to condemn, investigate and eventually qualify as "war crimes" missile attacks launched by Israel against Gaza raised the tension.

"The Argentine Republic expresses its deep concern over the dramatic worsening of the

situation in Israel and Palestine

, the disproportionate use of force by Israeli security units in the face of protests over possible evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhoods and Silwan, as well as the response through the

launch of missiles and incendiary devices

from the Gaza Strip ,

"he said in May the area headed by

Felipe Solá.

This position

fell badly in sectors of the Jewish community

in Argentina, as Clarín learned at the time.

"We see this statement with concern and it does not express the good relationship that exists between our countries," said then the Israeli ambassador to Argentina,

Galit Ronen.

The May war between Israel and Palestine - which reached a ceasefire after more than 19 days - ended with 232 Palestinians dead, including 65 children and 39 women, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

And 12 dead (including two minors) in Israel, due to the launch of missiles.

The OAS office

According to Almagro about the new office against anti-Semitism, "the main responsibilities will be to promote the adoption and implementation by all countries of the region of the working definition of anti-Semitism of the International Alliance for the Remembrance of the Holocaust."

The OAS plan is "to energetically involve states and civil society organizations to

raise awareness

about the need to remain alert to all forms of anti-Semitism," Almagro said.

According to the official statement, the decision of the secretary general of the Pan-American body to create this office is "a consequence of the establishment in recent years of

similar positions in Europe, Canada and the United States

."

"We are confident that our hemisphere needs to be adequately prepared to face the

growing threats of anti-Semitism

in the same way that many other nations and democratic international organizations have done," he concluded.

DS

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