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Latin American Forum to combat anti-Semitism timed to AMIA bombing event

Few countries in the region have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism, and few have anti-discrimination laws.

Thousands of people attended a memorial event in Argentina dedicated to the 85 people killed and 300 others injured in the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, July 18, 2022. Source: Twitter/The Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Thousands of people attended a memorial event in Argentina dedicated to the 85 people killed and 300 others injured in the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, July 18, 2022. Source: Twitter/The Israeli Foreign Ministry.

B’nai B’rith director of Latin American Affairs Eduardo Kohn and Special Advisor on Latin American and U.N. Affairs Adriana Camisar participated in the Latin American Forum to Combat Anti-Semitism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) and the Latin American Jewish Congress. B’nai B’rith was a sponsor of the event.

Kohn moderated a panel on how to combat discrimination through education and was interviewed by i24News on the progress made on the subject across Latin America. He pointed out that few countries in the region have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism and that only a few have anti-discrimination laws.

Camisar was also interviewed about B’nai B’rith’s most recent efforts to advance justice for the survivors and the relatives of the victims of the AMIA bombing by promoting the adoption of the “trial in absentia” procedure in Argentina. July 18 marked the 28th anniversary of the attack that killed 85 people and injured hundreds.

Ahead of the anniversary, B’nai B’rith hosted a program advocating for the adoption of the trial in absentia procedure in the AMIA case.

Kohn and Camisar met separately with former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales; Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan; Israeli Ambassador Galit Ronen; Uruguay’s Vice Minister of Environment Gerardo Amarilla; Colombian evangelical Pastor Eduardo Gomez; director of “Israel Without Borders” Camilo Torres Perl; executive director of the Confederation of Jewish communities of Colombia Marcos Peckel; Latin American director of the Israel Allies Foundation Leopoldo Martinez; president of the Jewish community of Chile Gerardo Gorodischer; Uruguayan Sen. Alejandro Sánchez of the leftist Frente Amplio; and Uruguayan Congressman Felipe Schipani, member of the ruling coalition, among other leaders.

Issues included B’nai B’rith’s longstanding efforts to combat anti-Semitism in the region and around the world; continue efforts regarding the AMIA case; and confront anti-Israel bias at the United Nations.

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