Argentina: Facebook Bullying

We've all been targets of Nazism, racism or anti-Semitism cyber-bullying, one way or another. Here's a prime example of a user who decided to post hate propaganda in five Jewish groups on Facebook (they're all the same):

Posting #1
Posting #2
Posting #3
Posting #4
Posting #5

The picture reads: "DEATH TO THE DAMN JEWS"

Translation of caption: "卐 Death to all Jews. I hope the 3rd Second World War starts soon, sons of bitches and that all your children and family die. I wish there will be a gas chamber again and a new Hitler. You are not human, you are crap. I see you walking on the street and want to vomit, always with your dirty clothes. Hopefully your children will die and your women will be raped by neonazis 卐 Greetings, Heil Hitler!

Please note that:
1) All punctuation and correct spelling was added by me, as the original writer's Spanish clearly demonstrates poor schooling.
2) Please note "the 3rd Second World War". This is direct translation.
3) Feel free to report the user (Melina Valeria Aquisgran) to Facebook.

Argentina: Concern over Anti-Semitic Graffiti

The Argentinean Ministry of Justice and Homeland Security is investigating the origin of this weekend's anti-Semitic graffiti at the "State of Israel" Plaza in the province of Neuquén.

Hernando Grosbaum, the Israeli Consul in Patagonia, told the newspaper "La Mañana Neuquén" that what distinguishes this painting from others that have been made in this and in other parts of the country, is that the inscription is in Arabic, which caught the attention of authorities.

The graffiti incites jihad (holy war) and is written with perfect knowledge of Arabic calligraphy as it is perfectly legible.

"It is different to write something that is intended for everyone to understand, than to write something specifically targeted at those who can understand it. That is very worrisome," said Grosbaum. "Specialists are trying to discern what it is about, to whom it is addressed and who could have written it."

The Israeli Ambassador, Daniel Gazit, told the Jewish News Agency that "this fact must be taken with utmost seriousness, especially these days, when Israel and the Palestinian Authority are closer to resume direct negotiations of peace."

Translated from http://www.cronica.com.ar/diario/2010/08/12/39948-preocupacion-por-pintadas-antisemitas.html

Chile: Senators Seeking to Criminalize Incitement to Racial and Religious Hatred

Chilean Senators Guido Girardi, Juan Pablo Letelier, Mariano Ruiz-Esquide, Carlos Cantero and Andrew Chadwick expressed deep concern over the spate of anti-Semitic acts that occurred in synagogues and Hebrew schools, as well as death threats against the president of the Chilean Jewish community, Gabriel Zaliasnik, and to his son of 9 years. For this reason, they announced the filing of a bill that seeks to criminalize "hate speech."
Senator Guido Girardi said, "We believe that this is not a problem just for the Jewish community, but for the entire Chilean society. We would not accept graffiti against the Catholic Church and we believe that there would be many voices against these acts, as it would also be the case within Islamic communities. Therefore, this situation is unacceptable under any circumstances", he said. For that reason, he mentioned that "we will present a bill which criminalizes the incitement to hatred and punishes those who infringe on these values and principles. We do not want to have in Chile discriminatory practices that incite hatred. Our legislation, in contrast to others, only sets fines and sanctions, but it does not define crime and punishment."

Translated from http://www.daia.org.ar/Site2009/nota.php?id=1117

Chile: Anti-Semitic Attack

The Chilean Jewish community denounced an anti-Semitic attack in the kindergarten of the Hebrew Institute, as its facade was vandalized by unknown individuals.

Along with a swastika, the message "Juden raus" (Jews Out) was written on the wall. It had a rune-style "s", bearing similarity to the Schutzstaffel logo of Adolph Hitler's regime.

"Last night there were neo-Nazi signs gain, this time in the Children's Garden of the Hebrew Institute, #naziCh", posted Gabriel Zaliasnik, president of the Jewish Community, on Twitter.

On Monday, the lawyer himself commented in The First Coffee Cooperative about the "fervent anti-Semitism in Chile", following threats he received on the Internet.

The graffiti in the Hebrew Institute bears similarity to the Arab College case from October 2009, when the College's walls were tainted with messages such as "Palestine does not exist" and "Arab = terrorist".


Translated from: http://www.cooperativa.cl/comunidad-judia-denuncio-rayados-antisemitas-en-el-instituto-hebreo/prontus_nots/2010-08-10/105912.html

Argentina: Jewish Cemetery Was Desecrated

More than 40 graves were desecrated in the Jewish cemetery of Misiones, Argentina, on Saturday night.
Luis Magrán, the Misiones DAIA Secretary, said that "it could have been a case of robbery of bronze plaques and inscriptions in order to sell the metal. However, since this is not the first time that this happens, we cannot eliminate the possibility that there were other intentions involved."
The Jewish community of Misiones maintains the cemetery in good conditions, but it regrets that there are no police or municipal guards to prevent desecration.

Source: La Nacion - May 4, 2010

Argentina: Anti-Semitic Attack during Pesach

On 1/4/10, anti-Semitic graffiti was found in Santa Teresita, in the province of Buenos Aires. The graffiti consisted of swastikas and inscriptions in German, such as "Morten Juden" (Death to Jews). The incident was immediately reported to the police and security was tightened in the hotel where a group of about 200 Jews, including community leaders, were celebrating Pesach. That same night, individuals in motorcycles passed by the hotel shouting similar offensive expressions. As of today, the culprits have not been found. Many Jewish Argentineans from the Orthodox community travel yearly to coastal cities (including Santa Teresita) to celebrate Pesach.

The Jewish community requested mediation and immediate action from Ministry of Justice to find and inculpate the people responsible for the hate crime. (1/4/10, Prensa Judía) Meanwhile, Eduardo Camaño, Minister of Government for the Province of Buenos Aires, issued a release that stated: "Rechazamos cualquier acto que agravie y atente contra la comunidad judía, por cuyos miembros sentimos el más profundo respeto”. ("We reject any action that aggravates and attacks the Jewish community, for whose members we feel the deepest respect.") The provincial authorities allegedly started an investigation immediately after the attack. (1/4/10, La Crónica)

Investigators are attempting to determine whether this was an isolated case, given that Santa Teresita once housed a Nazi criminal. Dino Šakić was a Croatian who directed the Jasenovac concentration camp from 1942 to 1944. After an investigation in 1998, the 76-year old Šakić was extradited to Croatia, where he was convicted and sent to prison for 20 years. He died incarcerated ten years later. (21/7/08, CBC)