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The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) was honored to participate last week in the official commemorations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, marking the 30th anniversary of the AMIA Jewish community center bombing — an Iranian regime-organized terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 85 people.
Hundreds government officials and lawmakers from across the globe — including U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt and her deputy Aaron Keyak — attended the events.
In addition to CAM, other Jewish organizations from abroad who were represented included the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry, Simon Wiesenthal Center, and World Jewish Congress.
The CAM en Español team, led by Director of Hispanic Affairs Shay Salamon, were special guests at a reception hosted at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Marc Stanley.
The American congressional delegation included House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), as well as Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Brad Schneider (D-IL).
CAM was later present at an event organized by the Ministry of Security and Ministry of Justice of the City of Buenos Aires, together with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, where the “Digital Terrorism Plus Hate” report was presented.
CAM also joined an international commemoration of the AMIA bombing, organized by the Latin American Jewish Congress and World Jewish Congress, in cooperation with DAIA (Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas) and AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina). Among the world leaders in attendance were Preside of Argentina Javier Milei, President of Paraguay Santiago Peña, and President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou, who paid tribute to the victims of the largest terrorist attack in the history of Latin America. U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis sent letters for the event as well.
On the morning of the anniversary itself, July 18th, a ceremony with more 10,000 attendees, including President Milei, was held at the site of the bombing. A siren was sounded at 9:53 a.m., the moment when the blast occurred. Family members read the names of the victims and candles were lit in their memories.
In his speech at the event, AMIA President Amos Linetzky said, “It seems unbelievable that 30 years have passed since that cold morning of July 18th, 1994. 30 years without a single person answering for this attack. 30 years in which the Argentine state has looked the other way, full of shortcomings, delays and mistakes, as recently remarked by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.”
“I am convinced that the defense of justice ennobles the fighters and is part of an ethical heritage that we want to transmit,” he added. “And we continue because terrorism continues. Because since last October 7th we are not the same. The terrorist organization Hamas, with the same Iranian sources of financing and the same goals of death and destruction, was responsible for the bloodiest pogrom of our era. We shout because silence is the choice of cowards or, even worse, of accomplices. Never ours.”
The commemoration events ended with a closing ceremony in the auditorium of the new AMIA building in the same place where the bombing took place. Speakers included United National Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos, United States District for the Southern District of Florida Roy Altman, Executive Director of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff, and DAIA President Jorge Knoblovits.
“Here, in the rebuilt AMIA building, 30 years later, Argentines are still demanding justice and closer, for the families and all Argentines,” Salamon said. “The same Iranian octopus that carried out this terror attack, the largest against the Jewish community outside Israel, this same octopus, through its proxy Hamas, carried out the October 7th massacre. Today, more than ever, we must take into account what Iran is doing and its involvement in international terror, and continue to speak out for all those who were victims of these attacks.”
It is 30 years since the horrific bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.@CAMenEspanol was in attendance at the memorial ceremony yesterday to call for justice for the 85 people murdered.
Iran and its murderous proxy armies must be stopped. pic.twitter.com/cYN5pdwQQD
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) July 19, 2024
While in Buenos Aires for the commemorations, representatives of 36 countries and international institutions endorsed the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, a comprehensive framework of best practices for combating Jew-hatred effectively worldwide.
Read More Here: Iran Showed Its True Colors in the AMIA Bombing 30 Years Ago
