VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0990/01 2002133
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 182133Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1565
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0729
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0227
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1825
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000990 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/BSC FOR BARNES, FRIEDMAN, AND SHOWELL 
NEA/IR FOR HWOOSTER 
S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA 
NSC FOR JUAN ZARATE AND JOSE CARDENAS 
FBI FOR CTD IRAN-HIZBALLAH UNIT AND OIO AMERICAS UNIT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF PTER KJUS FBI AR IR VE
UY 
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: SPECIAL ENVOY PAYS HOMAGE TO AMIA 
VICTIMS AND MEETS WITH AMIA AND DAIA LEADERSHIP 
 
REF: CARACAS 969 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  On July 3, Dr. Gregg Rickman, Special 
Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, visited the 
Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) headquarters to 
pay homage to the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack.  He 
then met with the Executive Boards of both the AMIA and the 
Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations (DAIA) for a 
general discussion on anti-Semitism in Argentina.  DAIA 
representatives indicated that anti-Semitism incidents are 
generally isolated events and non-violent.  They also noted 
efforts by the DAIA and the GOA to develop strategies to 
combat anti-Semitism, as well as their efforts to promote 
Holocaust commemoration events and education. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Later, in a private meeting with DAIA President Aldo 
Donzis and new incoming AMIA President Guillermo Borger, 
Rickman shared his observations on the embattled Jewish 
community in Venezuela.  He praised President Christina 
Fernandez de Kirchner's (CFK) outreach to the Venezuelan 
Jewish community and urged the AMIA and DAIA to identify 
opportunities to bring public attention to the situation 
there as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez seems to respond to 
international public opinion (ref A).  DAIA President Aldo 
Donzis noted that Venezuela is of "grave concern" to the 
Argentine Jewish Community, but indicated that their contacts 
in the Venezuelan community fear public pressure may spark 
retaliation.  Rickman encouraged them to identify ways to 
pressure Chavez that would "help, not harm" the community. 
Donzis also raised his concerns with Iran's growing influence 
in Latin America due to Chavez's relationship with Tehran. 
Rickman raised USG concerns that Durban II, the UN 
anti-racism conference taking place in Geneva in 2009 may be 
used as another opportunity to deligitimize Israel, and 
exhorted the Jewish community "to be more intelligent and one 
step ahead" of those who use the UN system to promote an 
anti-Israel/anti-Semitic agenda.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Rickman Pays Homage to AMIA Victims 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  On July 3, Dr. Gregg Rickman, Special Envoy to 
Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Foreign Affairs Officer 
Karen Paikin, and poloff visited the Argentine-Israeli Mutual 
Association (AMIA) headquarters to pay homage to the victims 
of the 1994 terrorist attack.  AMIA representatives gave 
Rickman a tour of the AMIA's memorial courtyard which 
includes a memorial sculptures and plaque to commemorate the 
85 victims of the 1994 terrorist attack on the AMIA, a plaque 
to commemorate the 29 victims of the 1992 bombing of the 
Israeli Embassy, and the approximately 2,000 Jewish victims 
of the 1976-83 military dictatorship.  During the tour, 
Rickman, accompanied by new AMIA President Guillermo Borger, 
laid a wreath at the AMIA memorial. 
 
--------------------------------- 
AMIA to Refocus on Social Mission 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Rickman then met with the Executive Boards of both 
the AMIA and the Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations 
(DAIA), which is the political representative body for the 
Jewish community, for a general discussion on anti-Semitism 
in Argentina.  After Borger, DAIA President Aldo Donzis, and 
others gave welcoming remarks, Rickman congratulated Borger 
for assuming the Presidency of the AMIA.  Borger thanked him 
and noted that he had been elected with a mandate "to refocus 
on AMIA's core mission" of providing social services to the 
Argentine Jewish community.  He explained that since the 1994 
terrorist bombing, AMIA was thrust into the political 
spotlight as it launched a campaign to lobby the Argentine 
government to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 
 
attack.  He stressed that the AMIA would continue to press 
for justice, but that the AMIA and the DAIA would return to 
its traditional roles, with the AMIA taking the lead on 
providing for the social needs of the Jewish community, and 
the DAIA taking the lead on political matters affecting the 
Jewish community.  He emphasized that the AMIA is an 
institution that "serves all Jews." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
DAIA: Anti-Semitism Incidents Generally Isolated and 
Non-Violent 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Dr. Marisa Braylan, Editor of the DAIA's annual 
anti-Semitism reports, noted that the DAIA runs a hotline for 
community members to call to register a complaint.  She 
indicated that incidents of anti-Semitism in Argentina are 
mostly non-violent, e.g. graffiti, adding that incidents have 
subsided since the August 2006 Lebanon war.  Still, there are 
instances where Argentine Jews have complained that employers 
have deducted their pay for observing Jewish high holidays, 
which is explicitly prohibited by law.  She also reported 
that there have been several incidents of anti-Semitic 
epitaphs directed at Jewish soccer players during games.  She 
explained that DAIA categorizes the types of complaints in 
order to develop a strategy to combat these expressions of 
anti-Semitism. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Rickman encouraged AMIA and DAIA leaders to 
"remain vigilant and watchful of Anti-Semitism". 
"Anti-Semitism must be called out, addressed, and defeated, 
because when it is ignored, it encourages repeat offenses", 
he stated.  AMIA General Secretary Julio Schlosser stated 
that one way the DAIA and AMIA work together to prevent a 
repeat of history is through its efforts to organize and 
participate in Holocaust commemoration events.  He noted 
Argentina's active participation in the International 
Holocaust Education Task Force and praised USG leadership in 
the task force. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Rickman Raises Concern for Venezuelan Jewish Community 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  After the meeting with the DAIA and AMIA leadership, 
new AMIA President Borger and DAIA President Rickman 
adjourned to Borger's private office for a more candid 
discussion of their concerns for the Jewish community in 
Latin America.  They asked Rickman to share his observations 
on his recent trip to Venezuela.  Rickman stated that he was 
"very worried" about the Venezuelan Jewish community, adding 
that approximately half of Venezuela's Jewish population has 
immigrated to other countries in the last ten years.   Only 
13,000 remain in Caracas.  Rickman indicated that Chavez 
seems "obsessed" with the Jewish community, having raided the 
main Jewish center, Hebraica, twice--once in 2002 and again 
in 2007.  He stated that the Venezuelan Jewish community does 
not have any channel within the BRV to express their 
concerns.  He urged the AMIA and DAIA leadership that they 
keep the Venezuelan Jewish community "foremost in their 
minds" because the situation needs to be monitored. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Rickman noted that President Cristina Fernandez de 
Kirchner has reached out to the Venezuelan Jewish community, 
and he encouraged the AMIA and DAIA to "keep pressure" on 
Chavez.  DAIA President Aldo Donzis noted that CFK's decision 
to address the Jewish community in Venezuela in March 2007 
demonstrated to Chavez that the GOA supports the Jewish 
community there.  He added that during World Jewish Congress 
President Ronald Lauder's visit to Argentina June 26, he met 
with CFK and expressed concern of Iran's increasing presence 
in Latin America.  During the meeting, CFK expressed total 
support of the Jewish community, he claimed. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
DAIA Concerned over "Iranization" of Latin America 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶9.  (C)  Donzis observed that Chavez is surrounded by many 
anti-Jewish, anti-Israel advisers.  The official press, in 
particular, publishes numerous anti-Semitic articles.  In 
addition, the BRV has confiscated the property of Jewish 
families that have left Venezuela.  Chavez's close 
relationship with Iran has allowed for the "Iranization" of 
Latin America, he said, asserting that DAIA has information 
that Hezbollah is operating in Venezuela's Amazonia.  He 
noted that there is now a daily Tehran-Caracas direct flight 
and claimed that it is difficult to tell who is in the 
country or not given that Venezuela had no passport controls. 
 This means that Hezbollah and Iran may be able to develop an 
operational infrastructure that can outlast Chavez, he 
warned. 
 
¶10.  (C)  Donzis also pointed out that Iran has increased its 
trade and investment with neighboring Uruguay.  Although 
Venezuela is of "grave concern" to the Argentine Jewish 
Community, he stated that their contacts in the embattled 
Jewish community had expressed fear of retaliation and asked 
for caution as public pressure may make matters worse. 
Rickman agreed that international supporters of the 
Venezuelan Jewish community must devise strategies that will 
help, and not harm, the community.  He said that in his 
meetings in Venezuela, many asked him to "speak out" on their 
behalf and to urge others to do the same as Chavez seems to 
respond to international pressure. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Rickman Notes Concern over Anti-Israel Bias at the UN 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Turning to a discussion of anti-Isreal bias in 
the United Nations, Rickman observed that although 
anti-Semitism and anti-Israel are two different things, they 
often go hand in hand, and is increasingly linked to 
anti-American sentiment.  He noted that it is "very chic" to 
be anti-Israel and one way of demonstrating against Israel is 
to do something against Jews.  He argued that anti-Israel 
resolutions in the United Nations "crosses the line and are 
anti-Semitic because of the frequency with which they are 
introduced."  He expressed concern that the Durban II UN 
anti-racism conference in Geneva scheduled for 2009 may be 
used as another opportunity to deligitimize Israel.  As the 
meeting drew to a close, Rickman cautioned that "The bad guys 
have their act together, and the Jewish community has to be 
more intelligent and one step ahead." Donzis and Borger 
agreed. 
 
¶12.  (U)  This cable was cleared by Special Envoy Gregg 
Rickman. 
WAYNE