Former Spanish Politician Pilar Rahola Joins CAM as Chair of New Advisory Board for Latin America

Spanish journalist Pilar Rahola — a former member of the Spain’s Congress of Deputies and vice mayor of Barcelona — will serve as Chair of the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s new Advisory Board for Latin America, it was announced on Friday.

“It’s an honor to join CAM in the fight against antisemitism and lead the new Advisory Board for Latin America,” Rahola stated. “I’m fully committed to this fight, because of my deep belief in democratic values and freedoms. Antisemitism is the most lethal school of hate in history, and combating it is an ethical and moral obligation. CAM has been an impressive network of allies across Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world in recent years, and I look forward to amplifying and expanding this important work.”

Rahola has participated in a series of CAM-organized events in Uruguay, Brazil, and the United States in recent months, sharing her insights on the global surge of antisemitism triggered by the October 7th Hamas massacre in Israel.

“For decades, Pilar Rahola has been one of the most important voices in the Spanish-speaking world advocating for Israel and warning about the perils of rising antisemitism, and her message became only more relevant following the horrors of October 7th,” CAM Director of Hispanic Outreach Shay Salamon said. “We are privileged to have her as an ally in the fight against the world’s oldest hatred and we look forward to seeing the fruits of this enhanced collaboration.”

Rahola was officially introduced to CAM’s general Advisory Board, chaired by Natan Sharansky, at its annual meeting earlier this week.

CAM’s outreach in Latin America began nearly three 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 antisemitism together.

During this time, CAM en Español has emerged as a key player in the battle against Jew-hatred in Latin America, with a growing coalition engaged in impactful activities in countries including Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, and Guatemala, among others.

CAM en Español has organized regional summits hosted by Uruguay in 2023, Panama in 2022, and Guatemala in 2021.

Immediately after the October 7th Hamas massacre, 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.