Guest Blog: Hasbara needed in Argentina

"Put away the camera! Are you crazy? Somebody will see you soon and this will end very badly," burst out my Argentinean friend when I attempted to photograph some very visible anti-Israeli graffiti in the main square of Buenos Aires. The graffiti, which called for the end of the Israeli occupation, was sprayed on the front wall of one of the national museums.

"Skinheads are everywhere, and they're just looking for someone to hassle," added Lionel, a young Jew who works as a programmer. The fear I saw in his face at that moment gave me food for thought with regard to Argentina's true identity - The one the average Israeli backpacker never encounters.

The average Israeli traveler, who has just finished army service and is on a carefree journey in South America, is in fact protected - although he/she doesn't know it - by the language barrier, and by a limited social environment consisting of other Israelis. These two factors are the main reasons for his lack of awareness of the extreme incidents that often occur right under his nose.

For instance, in the center of the capital, next to a youth hostel called "Estoril," which is highly popular among Israelis, the communist movement sprayed malicious graffiti directed against Israel and against Jews. Most of the hostel's guests are oblivious.

While in North America and Europe anti-Semitic activists disguise their racist messages in anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist political criticism, in Argentina the anti-Semitism is often right out in the open. Hatred toward Jews is expressed in very clear statements. In addition, various organizations from the extreme-right and extreme-left have begun incorporating violence into their protests and activities. During the celebrations for Israel's 61st anniversary put together by the Jewish community here, participants were assaulted by extremists using clubs and knives. The event ended with couple of wounded and few detainees, leading to an new situation. Argentina's Jews are afraid to go outside.

A massive increase in the number of anti-Semitic acts in Argentina occurred immediately after Israel's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza last January. Since then, demonstrations against Israel are habitual; violent acts against Jews, property and institutions are frequent; and graffiti is sprayed all over the city. "The third bomb is coming," stated a message spray-painted near the AMIA building, the umbrella organization for Jewish communities in Argentina. That was in reference to the two horrifying bombings in the Israeli embassy and the AMIA building during the nineties. In addition to this, two synagogues in Buenos Aires were evacuated recently due to bomb scares.

Aldo Donzis, president of DAIA, the political arm of the Jewish community, stresses that "the new wave of anti-Semitism is the worst since democracy has returned to Argentina."  Nonetheless, the authorities claim there is no real reason for concern and that extremists are under constant watch. However, the reputation acquired by Argentinean governments and the judicial system over the years, as well as the endless foot-dragging in the investigation of previous terrorist attacks, do not help create a feeling of security within the Jewish community there.

As a result, the Jewish community in Argentina allocates many resources to strengthen the local organizations who are assigned to fight anti-Semitism and support Israel. Nevertheless, these organizations' influence is insufficient compared to similar bodies in North America. This derives from funding limitations, the relative size of the community, and politics. Many of Argentina's Jews claim that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to be more involved, but the Israeli government is limited in the actions it can initiate.

Therefore, the latter should focus on continuous support of the independent organizations. These operate admirably in countries where the challenge is enormous, but suffer from a strategic flaw that derives from their own work method. For the most part, they operate where donors are located, rather than where urgent problems exist. Every Jewish donor is interested, before anything else, in improving Israel's image and battling anti-Semitism in his own surroundings. Maybe now, when there is a new Information and Diaspora Minister in the current Israeli government, a satisfying solution to these challenges can be found.

The author is a student at Tel Aviv University and volunteers with the international education organization for Israel - StandWithUs