Amid war between Israel and Hamas, anti-Semitic expressions have surfaced in Argentina

With the escalation of the military escalation between Israel and Hamas, Argentina is the scene in these days of a series of anti-Semitic expressions that have emerged. in graffiti and graffiti made in different provinces, and even on the walls of local Jewish institutions.

From the Delegation of Israelite Associations of Argentina (DAIA), they demonstrated deeply concerned in order to Bugle Given the possibility that the conflict in the Middle East could be the trigger for more expressions – and some acts of violence – whose tone has already increased over the years, especially on social media. In turn, community sources have acknowledged that the unexpected tension between the governments of Benjamin Netanyahu and Alberto Fernández over Argentina’s position in the conflict has exacerbated the situation.

While it is true that much of the world is condemned the Israeli force used in its war against the Hamas group – an attack that leaves dozens of victims among children, women and civilians not involved in the violence. the Argentine government dislodged the Israelis with the null condemnation of Hamas terrorism.

Last week, the president of the entity that brings together the country’s Jewish institutions, Jorge Knoblovits, asked the Minister of Security, Sabina Frédéric, to strengthen security in community buildings and is preparing a press release, which cannot not be released until Tuesday afternoon, when Shavuot, one of the Jewish people’s three pilgrimage festivals, comes to an end.

“We are going to kill them”, “Jewish rats”, They wrote next to the drawing of a Star of David in the center of Bahía Blanda, at the door of the Israelite Association and where a school also operates. At the same time, the Jewish News Agency (AJN) reported that in the neighborhood of Villa Crespo in the city of Buenos Aires – where a good part of the community lives – a huge graffiti appeared with the motto “Intruder Israel”.

In El Dorado, Misiones appeared painted from the Nazism swastikas, and in San Juan graffiti calling for a “Make the homeland, kill a Jew”. In Juan B. Justo and Corrientes streets, graffiti called Israel “Genocida”. In Bahía Blanca, Mayor Héctor Gay himself denounced that a man with a face covered by a handkerchief and a hat was captured by security cameras spraying graffiti against the Israeli Association and is the subject of ‘an investigation, but these are very difficult questions. to follow and, in this case, a file for “damages and threats” has been opened.

This Monday an immense sensitivity reigned in the bilateral relations with Israel, but also between the various communities which lived in relative harmony in Argentina. The government has insisted that it has nothing to add to the conflict so far, and that they had already expressed themselves in the press release, that Israel’s Ambassador Galit Ronen described as a text that does not reflect the relationship between her country and Argentina.

In the Frente de Todos coalition, there are relative nuances in the positions. At the Patria Institute headed by Vice-President Cristina Kirchner, they promote activities of solidarity with the Palestinian people, for example, while the Minister of the Environment, Juan Cabandié, posted a video on his Facebook deeply critical of Israel, and in which the suffering of the Palestinian people is seen. Human Rights Secretary Horacio Pietragalla is also known to have a deep anti-Israel and anti-Zionist outlook.

Bugle He consulted various sectors of the Government and they affirmed that< l'avenir leur donnera raison >>, justifying the criticism of the international community of Israel for the force of the bombings in Gaza which have already killed at least 200 people, including innocent civilians.

It is in this context that the DAIA – which has also strongly criticized the statement by the Argentine Foreign Ministry – is preparing a condemnation of the anti-Semitism unleashed in recent hours by the conflict in the Middle East and a call for calm.