Following her keynote remarks at the third annual Latin America-Israel Forum hosted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) in Montevideo, Uruguay, last month, well-known Spanish journalist and former politician Pilar Rahola embarked on an international speaking tour last week to share her insights on the Israel-Hamas war and the global fight against Jew-hatred.
Rahola’s travels — which so far have included stops in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and will bring her this week to Miami and Washington, D.C. — are being facilitated by CAM.
In the Washington, D.C., Rahola will participate on Thursday in a special CAM-organized event titled “Human Rights in Crisis: The Inter-American Role in Combating the Global Rise of Antisemitism” at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters.
Rahola’s tour is a manifestation of the far-reaching impact of the Latin America-Israel Forum, which brought together more than 500 participants and representatives of 17 nations for powerful show of solidarity with the Jewish state and people at a time when Israel is under attack and an unprecedented surge of antisemitism is sweeping over the world.
Speaking at the forum about the October 7th Hamas massacre and its aftermath, Rahola said, “What we are witnessing now is not just a war against Israel, but on tolerance, respect, and civilization. Today, it’s against Israel. Tomorrow, against Europe. Then, the civilized world.”
Rahola’s stop in São Paulo was co-organized with Beit Halochem Brazil and StandWithUs Brazil, and her itinerary in Rio de Janeiro was coordinated with the local Jewish community, as well as the municipal government, which recently became the first Brazilian city to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, with CAM support.
“Luchar contra Hamás es luchar a favor de la humanidad. Luchar contra Hamás es luchar a favor de los palestinos”: Pilar Rahola, periodista, escritora y analista catalana, durante su intervención ayer en São Paulo.
Nos complace poder ser parte de esta gira de @RaholaOficial en… pic.twitter.com/wg5lbdokV5— CAM en Español (@CAMenEspanol) December 7, 2023
“Fighting against Hamas is fighting for humanity,” Rahola said. “Fighting against Hamas is fighting for the Palestinians.”
Entendemos que debemos hablar, que debemos llamar las cosas como lo que son. Todo por su nombre:
Antisemitismo y antisionismo son dos caras de la misma moneda.
¡Seguiremos luchando contra el odio hacia el pueblo judío!
Gracias @pilar_rahola por ser parte de esta gira en Brasil. pic.twitter.com/LjB5YmlalO— CAM en Español (@CAMenEspanol) December 9, 2023
“Antisemitism and anti-Zionism are two sides of the same coin,” she emphasized.
CAM’s outreach in Latin America began more than two years ago, and since then it has worked diligently to build meaningful partnerships and friendships with influential leaders, lawmakers, community organizations, and civil society activists from a diverse assortment of religious, political and cultural backgrounds in the region to combat the world’s oldest hatred together.
During this time, CAM has emerged as an important voice in the battle against antisemitism in Latin America, with a growing coalition engaged in impactful activities in countries including Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and Guatemala, among others.
Immediately after the October 7th attack, CAM en Español jumped into action to mobilize support for Israel and respond to incidents of antisemitism across Latin America, meeting with regional leaders, holding educational webinars, promoting social media campaigns, and raising funds for Israeli emergency relief organizations.
