Wiesenthal Center Applauds Argentine Adoption of Antisemitism Definition

June 8, 2020

Buenos Aires and Paris – The Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs today adopted the Definition of Antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), the only full member in Latin America to do so.

The resolution invites the nation's remaining public and private institutions to apply the definition to combat “Antisemitism in all its forms, cooperate in the construction of a culture to prevent hostility and violence born from prejudice and intolerance, promote education for plurality and reinforce the task to guarantee the fulfillment of the objective of education, memory and research on the Holocaust and its lessons for us and future generations.”

Director for International Relations of the Wiesenthal Centre, Dr. Shimon Samuels stated that “the adoption by Argentina of the definition that equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism now follows the classification last years` of  Hezbollah, in both its military and political forms, as a terrorist organization. We call on all Latin American and Caribbean states to follow suit in both instances."

“Being a full member of IHRA and adopting its definition of Antisemitism is an important step that complements the series of anti-discrimination laws adopted across the region since the 1990s. Today, Argentine jurisprudence is a leader in human rights legislation," concluded Dr. Ariel Gelblung, the Center's Latin American Director.

For further information, please contact Dr. Shimon Samuels at +336 09770158 or Dr. Ariel Gelblung at +54 9 11 49695365.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization numbering over 400.000 members. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO)