ARGENTINA: SPECIAL ENVOY PAYS HOMAGE TO AMIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000990

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF PTER KJUS FBI AR IR VE
UY
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: SPECIAL ENVOY PAYS HOMAGE TO AMIA
VICTIMS AND MEETS WITH AMIA AND DAIA LEADERSHIP

REF: CARACAS 969

Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary. On July 3, Dr. Gregg Rickman, Special
Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, visited the
Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) headquarters to
pay homage to the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack. He
then met with the Executive Boards of both the AMIA and the
Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations (DAIA) for a
general discussion on anti-Semitism in Argentina. DAIA
representatives indicated that anti-Semitism incidents are
generally isolated events and non-violent. They also noted
efforts by the DAIA and the GOA to develop strategies to
combat anti-Semitism, as well as their efforts to promote
Holocaust commemoration events and education.


2. (C) Later, in a private meeting with DAIA President Aldo
Donzis and new incoming AMIA President Guillermo Borger,
Rickman shared his observations on the embattled Jewish
community in Venezuela. He praised President Christina
Fernandez de Kirchner's (CFK) outreach to the Venezuelan
Jewish community and urged the AMIA and DAIA to identify
opportunities to bring public attention to the situation
there as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez seems to respond to
international public opinion (ref A). DAIA President Aldo
Donzis noted that Venezuela is of "grave concern" to the
Argentine Jewish Community, but indicated that their contacts
in the Venezuelan community fear public pressure may spark
retaliation. Rickman encouraged them to identify ways to
pressure Chavez that would "help, not harm" the community.
Donzis also raised his concerns with Iran's growing influence
in Latin America due to Chavez's relationship with Tehran.
Rickman raised USG concerns that Durban II, the UN
anti-racism conference taking place in Geneva in 2009 may be
used as another opportunity to deligitimize Israel, and
exhorted the Jewish community "to be more intelligent and one
step ahead" of those who use the UN system to promote an
anti-Israel/anti-Semitic agenda. End Summary.

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Rickman Pays Homage to AMIA Victims
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3. (U) On July 3, Dr. Gregg Rickman, Special Envoy to
Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Foreign Affairs Officer
Karen Paikin, and poloff visited the Argentine-Israeli Mutual
Association (AMIA) headquarters to pay homage to the victims
of the 1994 terrorist attack. AMIA representatives gave
Rickman a tour of the AMIA's memorial courtyard which
includes a memorial sculptures and plaque to commemorate the
85 victims of the 1994 terrorist attack on the AMIA, a plaque
to commemorate the 29 victims of the 1992 bombing of the
Israeli Embassy, and the approximately 2,000 Jewish victims
of the 1976-83 military dictatorship. During the tour,
Rickman, accompanied by new AMIA President Guillermo Borger,
laid a wreath at the AMIA memorial.

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AMIA to Refocus on Social Mission
--------------


4. (SBU) Rickman then met with the Executive Boards of both
the AMIA and the Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations
(DAIA),which is the political representative body for the
Jewish community, for a general discussion on anti-Semitism
in Argentina. After Borger, DAIA President Aldo Donzis, and
others gave welcoming remarks, Rickman congratulated Borger
for assuming the Presidency of the AMIA. Borger thanked him
and noted that he had been elected with a mandate "to refocus
on AMIA's core mission" of providing social services to the
Argentine Jewish community. He explained that since the 1994
terrorist bombing, AMIA was thrust into the political
spotlight as it launched a campaign to lobby the Argentine
government to bring to justice the perpetrators of the

attack. He stressed that the AMIA would continue to press
for justice, but that the AMIA and the DAIA would return to
its traditional roles, with the AMIA taking the lead on
providing for the social needs of the Jewish community, and
the DAIA taking the lead on political matters affecting the
Jewish community. He emphasized that the AMIA is an
institution that "serves all Jews."

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DAIA: Anti-Semitism Incidents Generally Isolated and
Non-Violent
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) Dr. Marisa Braylan, Editor of the DAIA's annual
anti-Semitism reports, noted that the DAIA runs a hotline for
community members to call to register a complaint. She
indicated that incidents of anti-Semitism in Argentina are
mostly non-violent, e.g. graffiti, adding that incidents have
subsided since the August 2006 Lebanon war. Still, there are
instances where Argentine Jews have complained that employers
have deducted their pay for observing Jewish high holidays,
which is explicitly prohibited by law. She also reported
that there have been several incidents of anti-Semitic
epitaphs directed at Jewish soccer players during games. She
explained that DAIA categorizes the types of complaints in
order to develop a strategy to combat these expressions of
anti-Semitism.


6. (SBU) Rickman encouraged AMIA and DAIA leaders to
"remain vigilant and watchful of Anti-Semitism".
"Anti-Semitism must be called out, addressed, and defeated,
because when it is ignored, it encourages repeat offenses",
he stated. AMIA General Secretary Julio Schlosser stated
that one way the DAIA and AMIA work together to prevent a
repeat of history is through its efforts to organize and
participate in Holocaust commemoration events. He noted
Argentina's active participation in the International
Holocaust Education Task Force and praised USG leadership in
the task force.

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Rickman Raises Concern for Venezuelan Jewish Community
-------------- --------------


7. (C) After the meeting with the DAIA and AMIA leadership,
new AMIA President Borger and DAIA President Rickman
adjourned to Borger's private office for a more candid
discussion of their concerns for the Jewish community in
Latin America. They asked Rickman to share his observations
on his recent trip to Venezuela. Rickman stated that he was
"very worried" about the Venezuelan Jewish community, adding
that approximately half of Venezuela's Jewish population has
immigrated to other countries in the last ten years. Only
13,000 remain in Caracas. Rickman indicated that Chavez
seems "obsessed" with the Jewish community, having raided the
main Jewish center, Hebraica, twice--once in 2002 and again
in 2007. He stated that the Venezuelan Jewish community does
not have any channel within the BRV to express their
concerns. He urged the AMIA and DAIA leadership that they
keep the Venezuelan Jewish community "foremost in their
minds" because the situation needs to be monitored.


8. (C) Rickman noted that President Cristina Fernandez de
Kirchner has reached out to the Venezuelan Jewish community,
and he encouraged the AMIA and DAIA to "keep pressure" on
Chavez. DAIA President Aldo Donzis noted that CFK's decision
to address the Jewish community in Venezuela in March 2007
demonstrated to Chavez that the GOA supports the Jewish
community there. He added that during World Jewish Congress
President Ronald Lauder's visit to Argentina June 26, he met
with CFK and expressed concern of Iran's increasing presence
in Latin America. During the meeting, CFK expressed total
support of the Jewish community, he claimed.

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DAIA Concerned over "Iranization" of Latin America
-------------- --------------


9. (C) Donzis observed that Chavez is surrounded by many
anti-Jewish, anti-Israel advisers. The official press, in
particular, publishes numerous anti-Semitic articles. In
addition, the BRV has confiscated the property of Jewish
families that have left Venezuela. Chavez's close
relationship with Iran has allowed for the "Iranization" of
Latin America, he said, asserting that DAIA has information
that Hezbollah is operating in Venezuela's Amazonia. He
noted that there is now a daily Tehran-Caracas direct flight
and claimed that it is difficult to tell who is in the
country or not given that Venezuela had no passport controls.
This means that Hezbollah and Iran may be able to develop an
operational infrastructure that can outlast Chavez, he
warned.


10. (C) Donzis also pointed out that Iran has increased its
trade and investment with neighboring Uruguay. Although
Venezuela is of "grave concern" to the Argentine Jewish
Community, he stated that their contacts in the embattled
Jewish community had expressed fear of retaliation and asked
for caution as public pressure may make matters worse.
Rickman agreed that international supporters of the
Venezuelan Jewish community must devise strategies that will
help, and not harm, the community. He said that in his
meetings in Venezuela, many asked him to "speak out" on their
behalf and to urge others to do the same as Chavez seems to
respond to international pressure.

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Rickman Notes Concern over Anti-Israel Bias at the UN
-------------- --------------


11. (SBU) Turning to a discussion of anti-Isreal bias in
the United Nations, Rickman observed that although
anti-Semitism and anti-Israel are two different things, they
often go hand in hand, and is increasingly linked to
anti-American sentiment. He noted that it is "very chic" to
be anti-Israel and one way of demonstrating against Israel is
to do something against Jews. He argued that anti-Israel
resolutions in the United Nations "crosses the line and are
anti-Semitic because of the frequency with which they are
introduced." He expressed concern that the Durban II UN
anti-racism conference in Geneva scheduled for 2009 may be
used as another opportunity to deligitimize Israel. As the
meeting drew to a close, Rickman cautioned that "The bad guys
have their act together, and the Jewish community has to be
more intelligent and one step ahead." Donzis and Borger
agreed.


12. (U) This cable was cleared by Special Envoy Gregg
Rickman.
WAYNE