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17 Adar I 5760 - February 23, 2000 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Significant Rise In Argentinean Antisemitism and Assimilation

by Eliezer Rauchberger

Antisemitism in Argentina is currently on an upswing and the Jewish community is afraid that attacks on Jewish communal and Israeli institutions are liable to recur.

These remarks were made last week by Minister Michael Melchior at a meeting of the Knesset Aliya and Absorption Committee. Melchior expressed concern over the increase in antisemitism in Argentina; dissension within its Jewish community; and the deep economic and social crises the community is currently undergoing. Melchior, who visited Argentina a month ago, noted that there was a significant rise in assimilation within the community, and that the Jewish educational system is eroding, as reflected in the number of students enrolled in Jewish schools.

Minister Melchior reported to the Committee that out of 30,000 murdered or missing in Argentina in the beginning of the eighties, 3000 were Jews. Menachem Begin, who was Prime Minster of Israel at the time, took some extraordinary measures and was able to save 300 Jews. The Committee said that the Israeli Government must confront the Argentinean authorities and demand that they locate the bodies of the missing Jews so that they be accorded Jewish burials. Minister Melchior said that he intends to approach the Archbishop of Argentina and the President of Argentina on this issue.

Committee Chairman MK Naomi Blumenthal (Likud) said that although the Government has established a Ministry for Diaspora Affairs headed by Melchior, he has not been granted the means to fulfill his duties and to battle the increasing antisemitism throughout the world. "The Israeli Government must lead the battle against assimilation. The Government must allot financial resources for the strengthening Jewish education and the links with Israel in the Diaspora," she said.

MK Rabbi S. Halpert called upon the Government to help the Jewish educational institutions in Argentina to continue to function. "Education is the only tool which will enable us to grapple with assimilation," he said.


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