澳门六合彩

From Buenos Aires to Jerusalem

By Mayra Iglesias

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President Alberto Fern谩ndez surprised observers by choosing Israel as his first international trip, attending the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in January, marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The timing of Mr. Fernandez鈥檚 trip coincided with another important milestone for Argentina鈥檚 Jewish community, the fifth anniversary of the suspected murder of Alberto Nisman, the prosecutor who investigated Iran鈥檚 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

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Wrong Foot

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Mr. Fern谩ndez鈥檚 election discomfited the country鈥檚 sizable Jewish community, bringing back to the Casa Rosada Cristina Fern谩ndez de Kirchner, his vice president, whose rapprochement with Iran had raised tensions with major Jewish organizations. For his part, Mr. Fern谩ndez did not reassure Jewish leaders when he told Israel鈥檚 ambassador to Argentina, Gaeli Ronen, that he planned to repeal a decree by President Mauricio Macri declaring Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and did not initially commit to attending the Holocaust memorial event in Jerusalem.

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Mr. Fern谩ndez also risked alienating the Jewish community when he changed his position on Mr. Nisman鈥檚 death. In听听鈥� British filmmaker Justin Webster鈥檚 six-part Netflix documentary that was released this January and captivated Argentines 鈥� Mr. Fern谩ndez, in a 2017 interview, says he doubted Mr. Nisman committed suicide. After the documentary鈥檚 release, however, the president told听听the forensic investigation that ruled his death a homicide had 鈥渓acked scientific rigor,鈥� and added in a听听that 鈥渘o serious evidence appeared indicating Nisman was killed.鈥�

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One Step Forward

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Mr. Macri had improved the government鈥檚 ties to the country鈥檚 Jewish community, the largest in Latin America. In addition to declaring Hezbollah a terrorist organization in 2019, he organized the first-ever visit by an Israeli prime minister, in 2017. The next year, his vice president, Gabriela Michetti, visited Jerusalem.

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Despite their warm relations with the last government, Jewish groups in Argentina have tried to avoid a partisan association with the Juntos por el Cambio coalition. This year, the country鈥檚 two most important Jewish organizations 鈥� the Delegaci贸n de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas and AMIA 鈥� skipped the annual march in memory of Mr. Nisman, with DAIA鈥檚 president, Jorge Knoblovits,听听the need to 鈥渟eparate politics from his memory.鈥�

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Making Amends

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Apparently at Ms. Fern谩ndez de Kirchner鈥檚 urging, Mr. Fern谩ndez has taken steps to build confidence among Argentine Jews. He decided to attend the Jerusalem Holocaust event and to maintain Hezbollah鈥檚 terrorist designation 鈥� a decision that earned public praise from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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At the end of his trip, Mr. Fern谩ndez committed to holding accountable the perpetrators of the AMIA bombing and the 1992 Iranian attack on Israel鈥檚 embassy in Buenos Aires. 鈥�Nuestro compromiso por saber la verdad sobre lo que pas贸 con la AMIA es absoluto,鈥� he said. 鈥�Fue nuestro compromiso y es nuestro compromiso. Necesitamos saber que fue lo que pas贸. Por la memoria de todos los que murieron all铆 y todos los que murieron en la embajada de Israel.听Ese compromiso nuestro es inalterable.鈥�