In Latin America Outreach Push, CAM Attends Annual ‘Conferência Global’ in Brazil

Representatives of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) were among the more than 3,000 people — including top government officials, spiritual leaders, and opinionmakers from across Latin America and the United States — who took part last week in “Conferência Global 2021” in Brasília, Brazil.

The event, which has been held annually for a decade now, was hosted the Latino Coalition for Israel (LCI), Comunidade Das Nações, and Bishop JB Carvalho.

CAM Senior Advisor Ellie Cohanim and CAM Director of Hispanic Outreach Shay Salamon traveled to Brazil for the gathering, at the invitation of LCI.

The conference’s keynote speaker was Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who expressed deep and unwavering support for the State of Israel.

Another exciting moment was when Brazilian Education Minister Milton Ribeiro recited a prayer in Hebrew, followed by the singing of the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.

At the conference and on its sidelines, Cohanim and Salamon met with, among others, President Bolsonaro, Minister Ribeiro, Uruguayan Deputy Environment Minister Gerardo Amarilla, Israeli Ambassador to Brazil Daniel Zohar-Zonshine and Deputy Ambassador David Atar, as well as representatives of the Confederação Israelita do Brasil, or CONIB, which is the Brazilian Jewish community’s umbrella organization.

Agenda items included educational programs to combat antisemitism; the need for legislation on hate crimes and the use of Nazi symbols; and CAM’s plan, through its new Hispanic Outreach Department, to strengthen ties throughout Latin America and build coalition to address these and other issues.

CAM gratefully thanks LCI President Pastor Mario Bramnick for the conference invitation. LCI is an important partner organization with which CAM hopes to work closely as it expands its activities in Latin America.