Latin American political, religious and grassroots leaders participated in the fifth annual Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism this week, days after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect.
“On Oct. 7, civilization got a brutal knockdown, but after two years, it is clear to me that antisemitism is a disease that will not end or diminish due to a ceasefire, because the disease has always been there,” said keynote speaker Pilar Rahola, a Spanish journalist, writer and former politician.
The event, co-organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and B’nai B’rith International, and held in Rio de Janeiro from Oct. 11-14, paid tribute on Monday to the victims of the Hamas-led massacre of Oct. 7, 2023, coinciding with the release of the 20 living hostages still held in Gaza.
The annual gathering, drawing around 1,000 attendees from 17 countries, focused on legislative action to fight discrimination worldwide. It was held in partnership with the Israeli Confederation of Brazil, the Israeli Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro and the City of Rio de Janeiro.
“What happened on Oct. 7 cannot be forgotten,” said Shay Salamon, CAM director of Hispanic affairs. “Although we are experiencing a unique moment now, with the release of the hostages, we must recognize that antisemitism won’t disappear with the end of the war. It will have to be fought with education, empathy, and joint action.”
Participants took part in panel discussions, with topics ranging from Holocaust education to legislative efforts.
Eduardo Kohn, B’nai B’rith director of Latin American affairs, moderated a panel on discrimination laws and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.
Other speakers and panelists included Fernando Lottenberg, special envoy for monitoring antisemitism for the Organization of American States, along with Washington Abdala, former Uruguayan ambassador to the OAS, and Franco Fiumara, a federal Argentine judge.
“Amid the troubling rise in antisemitic rhetoric and violence around the world, it is more important than ever for allies of the Jewish people and the state of Israel to rally together in a united show of solidarity,” Salamon said. “The message of this summit is loud and clear—hate and discrimination have no home here in Latin America, and the Jews of the region do not stand alone.”
‘It is an issue for all of us’
Javier García, a Uruguayan senator and former minister of defense, told the conference that “antisemitism is not only a Jewish issue. It is an issue for all of us.”
He said that “we will see a change in our society when forums or spaces like this begin to be organized by non-Jews, because antisemitism strikes at what is most dear to freedom—that everyone can express their ideas, their beliefs, their faith, with freedom and tolerance.”
A new alliance, Latin American Legislators Against Antisemitism, was also launched at the summit, uniting lawmakers from across the region to advance coordinated policies and educational initiatives to confront antisemitism at the national level.
The forum concluded with a joint declaration, which includes a call to a wide swath of Latin American society to develop and adopt anti-hate policies and regulations, emphasize IHRA implementation, back interfaith initiatives and support Israel.
