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Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2012

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.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Argentina: Cartoon in Major Newspaper Mocks the Holocaust

After a year of hiatus, I'm back. Hello to all!

I'll start this year with a disgusting cartoon that mocks concentration camps (and in my opinion, this post is so shocking, it makes up for the whole of 2011).

Translation of Gustavo Salas' cartoon published in Argentina's major newspaper, Pagina12:



Title: An adventure of David Gueto (Spanish for "Ghetto"): Concentration Camp DJ
DJ Gueto: "Come on, dance!! Party, party"
Prisoners: "We have nothing to celebrate about. They kill and extinguish us en masse"
DJ Gueto: "Come on! don't be so lame. Dance!!!!!!!"
Prisoners: "They kill us in gas chambers and make soap bars from our bodies... did you know that?"
Hitler: "David is right: a bit of fun wouldn't hurt you guys"
Prisoners: "Yes, Mr. Hitler"
Hitler: "Come on, have fun. Life is short"
Prisoners dance...
Hitler: "Thanks, David. If they're relaxed, the soaps turn out much better"
DJ Gueto: I can imagine... hahaha"

DISGUSTING.

Monday, August 16, 2010

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

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The writer Abel Basti says the Nazi Fuhrer died in Argentina

”The suicide in the bunker in Berlin and with the Russians at the door, was a farce staged by the Nazis”.

This is the contention of the Argentinen historian Abel Basti, in his book "Hitler's Exile".


Basti says he started working on this issue when the case of SS captain Erich Priebke, who was arrested while he was interviewing him at home, broke out.
The Nazi remained under arrest at his home for months and was finally extradited to Italy.

In 'The exile of Hitler' Basti claims that the German dictator did not die along with Eva Braun in the bunker in Berlin, but that the Fuehrer fled to Argentina stopping in Barcelona, where he remained hidden, and in Vigo, where he boarded the submarine that took him to Patagonia.

Basti provides a secret document where Hitler supposedly appears as one of the passengers who were evacuated on an Austrian plane to Barcelona on April 26, 1945. He claims that Hitler’s suicide, with his lover, Eva Braun, on April 30th, 1945 in a bunker in the building of the Chancellery in Berlin was "a farce staged by the Nazis."

"The big secret of the dictator’s flight was the arrival of a double at Hitler´s bunker on April 22, 1945, when the real dictator flew to the Austrian airport of Hörsching together with eight other people, including Eva Braun "

This version coincides with that given to the CIA by Heinrich Müller, head of the Gestapo. Basti insists that his work also includes a paper from the British Secret Services revealing that a Nazi submarine convoy departed days later from Spain, and after a stopover in the Canary Islands, continued its journey to the south of Argentina.

"In one of these submarines Adolf Hitler travelled with Eva Braun, under the protection of the de-facto president of Argentina, Edelmiro Farrell, and his Minister of War, Juan Domingo Peron."

- Are there any witnesses who saw those Nazis in Spain?, Asks Antonio Astorga on ABC.
And Basti replies:
"Yes, an officer of the Blue Division reported his presence, but many, because of fear, did not want their names to appear. A material witness is a Jesuit nonagenarian, who retreated to a monastery, and has ample information of their presence in Spain.

"You show a German secret document where Hitler appears as one of the passengers evacuated by plane from Austria to Barcelona on the 26th or on the early hours of April 27th, 1945.
"It was a secret official communication with copies to the pilot Werner Baumbach, who emigrated to Argentina and brought his copy. Baumbach, together with others known Nazi pilots, worked for Peron’s aeronautical project.

- What did Hitler do to avoid being recognized?
"Hitler cut his hair and shaved off his moustache. This was enough to go unnoticed, as well, of course, that he did not move overtly in public. The removal of his moustache exposed a scar on his upper lip, which was not known by the common people.

- Is then the version that the dictator together with his mistress Eva Braun, had committed suicide on April 30th 1945 in a bunker in Berlin, false?
"There was never any evidence of that death. No criminological proofs showing suicide. The German government gave Hitler up for dead eleven years later, in 1956, by presumption of death. That is, legally for Germany, Hitler was alive after 1945. Not only alive, but also was not a man convicted by law, there was no warrant, no judicial process against him. While Hitler was in Spain, a great farce was played in the bunker, whose lead actor was one of Hitler's doubles. During the last hours, his lookalike was drugged and prepared to represent the final act.

- Do you think that suicide was a "safeconduct", a mere excuse, so that Hitler could get away?
Hitler´s escape was provisioned in a large plan of escape by the Nazis: of men, capital and technology. That plan, in 1945, received the green light from the Americans, through a secret military pact. The thousands of Nazis that leaked into the West, of which about 300,000 came to the U.S., were "recycled" to fight communism. Hitler became a living dinosaur, protected and sheltered.

- In "Hitler's Exile,” you include the document of the British secret services revealing that Hitler fled to Argentina on a submarine, stopping to refuel in the Canary Islands.
"And you say that before the convoy of submarines left Spain, the U.S. Navy removed all units sailing the South Atlantic. You also indicate that Nazi submarines “exchanged messages" with the American fleet. The messages were intercepted by the English.

- How did the nazi worm crawl into Argentina?
"Hitler was 56 years old when he came to Argentina, where he lived as a fugitive, with a false identity and trying to pass as unnoticed as possible. In the early years he lived in a ranch near Bariloche, then in other parts of the country, and he changed residence in more than one occasion. Always accompanied by two bodyguards, sometimes three. His political activity was limited to a few meetings with old comrades and some Argentinian military. Hitler died in Argentina in the sixties. Eva Braun, younger than him, survived.

Source: http://www.periodistadigital.com/ocio-y-cultura/libros/2010/06/27/-hitler-se-corto-el-pelo-al-ras-se-quito-el-bigote-y-huyo-a-espana-.shtml
Thanks to Ellen Popper for providing the information and the translation.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Argentina: First-Ever Jewish Minister of Foreign Affairs

The ambassador of Argentina in the United States, Héctor Timerman, was appointed the new chancellor of Argentina, replacing Jorge Taiana, who resigned from the position. Timerman became the first Jewish Minister of Foreign Affairs in Argentina. He has a close bond with the Argentinean Jewish community, and he helped the relatives of the victims of the 1994 AMIA bombing in their fight for justice.

Timerman served as General Consul of Argentina in the United States from July 2004 to December 2007, when he was appointed Ambassador. Previously, he was a successful journalist, directing and collaborating with several journals both in Argentina and in the world. Timerman is a co-founder of America's Watch, a human rights organization in the United States with Observer status in the United Nations. In addition, he was a member of the Directors’ Committee of the Fund for Free Expression (now called the Free Expression Project of Human Rights Watch), an organization that fights censorship around the world..

He is the son of Jacobo Timerman, the recognized journalist who was kidnapped, disappeared and tortured during the Argentinean dictatorship. He was kidnapped in 1977 by militants under the direction of Ramón Camps, an anti-Semitic general who was later condemned of crimes against humanity. He was liberated in 1980, after which he fled to Israel and to the United States. In 1984, Jacobo Timerman gave his testimonial to the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP) and it was included in the Never More Report (Informe Nunca Más).


Original article: http://www.prensajudia.com/shop/detallenot.asp?notid=20255

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

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

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Latin America: Iran's Commercial Battlefield

It seems like Iran is taking advantage of the global economic crisis to increased its commercial presence in Latin America, in order to reduce the United States' influence in the region. In 2008, Iran's trade with Latin America was reportedly US$2.9 billion, triple what it was in 2007. Although nominally it may not seem like a lot, the growth rates from 2007 are astonishing. For example:
- Argentina: US$1.2 billion in 2008 (from US$30 million in 2007)
- Ecuador: US$168 million in 2008 (from US$6 million in 2007)
- Venezuela: US$52 million in 2008 (+31% from 2007)
- Cuba: US$50 million in 2008 (+50% from 2007)
(Data: 4/12/09, UPI and 6/4/10, Reuters)

It is public knowledge that Latin American leaders, such as Hugo Chaves in Venezuela and Raul Castro in Cuba, allow Ahmadinejad to step into the region to "liberate" it from the United States' economic and social "imperialistic domination". This is not surprising – we have seen Ahmadinejad and Chaves shake hands on multiple occasions. Just a few weeks ago, Cuba announced increased cooperation with Iran in the fields of biotechnology and sugar, as part of its global commercial diversification plan to overcome its liquidity crisis. (6/4/10, Reuters) Cuba and Venezuela even attended Iran's nuclear conference in April.

What is really surprising (and preoccupying) is the strengthening of economic relations between Iran and some of the more independent and advanced Latin American countries, which also host a large number of Jews. Ahmadinejad's government recently announced that Brazil and Argentina are its two strongest commercial allies in Latin America, respectively. Mohsen Shaterzadeh Yazdi, Iran's ambassador in Brazil, described Latin America as the battlefield in its confrontation with "arrogant powers", obviously referring to the United States. (6/4/10, Prensa Judía)

Simultaneously, Brazil's Chancellor, Celso Amorim, defended Brazil's policy of sustaining economic ties with Iran. He argued that it is still possible to use dialog in order to reach an agreement that will allow the international community to watch Iran's nuclear plans. Amorim also said that the United States' policies will only radicalize Iran and make its people suffer more, since economic sanctions will hurt the poor classes more. (6/4/10, Reuters) Argentina's extremist politician Luis D'Elia (practically Ahmadinejad's lobby envoy in Buenos Aires) regularly holds meetings with government officials in Iran, as well as with Argentinean businesspeople to create commercial partnerships with Iran. He even advocated that Argentina should not only develop multimillion business deals with Iran, but also sign an agreement for nuclear cooperation to enrich uranium. (4/4/10, Infobae)

Just the fact that Latin American countries are expanding their commercial ties with Iran in a time when the developed world is trying to raise sanctions against it, is a red flag in its own. In some cases, these nations simply may be looking for ways to mitigate the effect of the economic crisis on their trade balances. Some others may reflect genuine willingness to have Iran as a partner. What is certain is that, while it is unlikely that Iranian-Latin American trade will make a material shift in the global markets, the region has the potential to fortify Iran's economy. The potential of Latin American's vast natural resources, large population and strategic geographical position is significant, especially if combined with the wrong political alliances.

Monday, April 26, 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)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Country profile #1: Argentina

In Numbers:
• 19th century and before: European and Mediterranean businesspeople arrived in Argentina, forming the first Jewish community in Buenos Aires in 1862. As with the marranos (Spanish and Portuguese crypto-Jews) from previous centuries, these assimilated into Argentinean culture and Catholicism. Starting in 1881, after the pogroms in Russia and Romania, several thousands of Jews immigrated to Argentina.
• 1906-1912: 13,000 new Jewish immigrants per year (mostly European, but also some Moroccans and Turks.)
• 1920: there were more than 150,000 Jews in Argentina.
• 1930s and early 1940s: Argentina was inhospitable to the Jews before the Holocaust. It is estimated that 30,000-50,000 of Jews arrived from Europe by 1943, many of them illegally.
• 1940s and 1950s: Jewish immigration from the Middle East.
• 1950: there were 310,000-320,000 Jews in Argentina (historical peak.)
• 1976-1983: about 1,000 Jews disappeared during the Dirty War. As a result of the war, about a million Jews left Argentina. Many returned when the war was over and the rest remained abroad.
• 1948-2001: approximately 50,000 Argentinean Jews made Aliyah (immigration to Israel)
• Early 2000s: severe economic crisis in 2001 caused several thousands of Jews to leave Argentina. Many of these emigrants are now returning to Argentina.
• Current population is estimated at 184,500, making it the largest Jewish community in Latin America and the seventh largest in the world (1.4% of world Jewry.) 0.5% of the general Argentinean population is Jewish (American Jewish Year Book, 2006)

The Historical Situation:
• Before World War I: anti-Semitism was rare in Argentina.
• 1918-1930: following the Russian revolution, anti-Semitism rose due to anti-revolutionary feelings. On January 7-13, 1919, there was even a pogrom against the Jews, who suffered from physical beatings and damages to their property.
• 1946-1955: Juan Peron was elected president. On the one hand, Peron was good to the Jews as he expressed recognition for their rights and established relations with Israel in 1949. On the other hand, he was a Nazi sympathizer who gave refuge to Nazi war criminals, making Argentina a safe-haven for Nazis. At the same time, he halted Jewish immigration to Argentina. After a military coup overthrew Peron from power in 1955, a new wave of anti-Semitism began.
• 1960: Israeli agents abducted the notorious Nazi, Adolf Eichmann, in Buenos Aires. His trial the following year provoked new anti-Semitism in Argentina.
• 1976-1983: Argentina was under military rule. Out of the 9,000 disappeared people during the Dirty War, 1,000 were Jews. After democracy was restored in Argentina, anti-Semitism declined and the Jews were placed in many high government positions.
• 1988: the Argentinean parliament passed a new law against racism and anti-Semitism.
• 1989-1999: under Carlos Menem's leadership, many Jews were appointed to his government and relations with Israel were quite positive. Several serious anti-Semitic incidents happened while he was president. The most notorious of these were the bombings of the Israeli Embassy in 1992 (32 people were killed) and of the Jewish community headquarters (AMIA) in 1994. The latter killed 87 people and wounded 100 others. A Hizbollah suicide bomber was responsible for the operation, allegedly with vast support from Iran (which naturally denies its involvement). Carlos Menem and some others are currently undergoing trial for alerting Alberto Jacinto Kanoore Edul, who was behind the AMIA bombing, and for covering significant evidence.

The Community Today:
There are fewer than 200,000 Jews in Argentina, of which 90% live in Buenos Aires and the rest in cities such as Rosario, Cordoba and Santa Fe.
The community's institutions and individuals were deeply affected by the Argentinean economic crisis earlier this decade. About one quarter of the Jews in Argentina live below the poverty line and the AMIA community center (the one that was bombed in 1994 and constructed right after) is now trying to repay a large millionaire debt.
The DAIA (Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas) is the political arm of the Jewish community. Buenos Aires has several synagogues: 50 Orthodox, 21 Conservative and a few reform. Argentina has more than 70 Jewish educational institutions of all types, and in Buenos Aires, 17,000 Jewish children study in the Jewish educational system.

Sources:
http://www.jewishagency.org/nr/exeres/6a7d1480-a44a-4ed2-acb0-ed141eb744ca,frameless.htm%3Fnrmode%3Dpublished

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Argentina.html

http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish%2BEducation/Compelling%2BContent/Worldwide%2BCommunity/Connecting%2Bto%2BCommunity/Argentina.htm