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Wiesenthal Center Welcomes Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela Joint Condemnation of Antisemitism

Admin December 21, 2008

Wiesenthal Center Welcomes Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela Joint Condemnation ofAntisemitism:
Challenges Chavez to Break with Iran on Holocaust Denial and Durban II
The Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomed a Declaration against Racism signed on December 17, at Latin American– Caribbean Summit in Brazil, by Presidents Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), Lula da Silva (Brazil) and Hugo Chávez (Venezuela). The Declaration reportedly expressed their concernat “the resurgence of discrimination, antisemitism and anti-Islamism, racial discrimination and related intolerance”.
“Measures against antisemitism have, indeed, been taken by Presidents Kirchner and Lula”, declared Dr. ShimonSamuels, Director for International Relations of the Wiesenthal Center. “This statement opens an opportunity for Venezuela to join them. Let President Chavez show theworld how serious he is about combatting antisemitism. A good place to start is by distancing himself from his Iranian ally and publicly urginghis people to learn the lessons of the Nazi Holocaust, an area that the Wiesenthal Center can provide films, exhibits and survivor testimony"”, he added.
“Holocaust denial, terrorism and calls for the extermination of Israel are three elements of contemporaryantisemitism. Brazil has closed neo-Nazi literature outlets. Argentina has taken bold diplomatic, legal and economic steps against the terror-masters who murdered 85 people in theattack against the AMIA Jewish Center. We call upon Venezuela to act in the same spirit, by denouncing Hizbollah’s incitement to violence against Jews and cutting all contact withthe terrorist organization”, stated Sergio Widder, the Center’s Latin American Representative.
“Further, the upcoming Durban Review Conference (UN World Conference Against Racism), taking place next April inGeneva, will provide Latin leaders with a concrete opportunity to defeat the introduction of the above forms of antisemitism into the debate. President Chavez’ position at Durban2 will test this joint statement’s validity as a standard. Moreover, this first Latin American statement against Jew-hatred may serve as a paradigm for anti-discriminationthroughout the continent”, concluded Samuels and Widder.
For further information contact Dr. Shimon Samuels at + 336 09770158 or Sergio Widder at +549114425-1306.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over400.000 members. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin AmericanParliament.
El Centro Wiesenthal reconoce la Declaración conjunta contra el antisemitismo de Argentina, Brasil yVenezuela: “La posición de Chavez en ‘Durban 2’ será una prueba de la validez del pronunciamiento”
El Centro Simon Wiesenthal recibió con beneplácito una Declaración contra el Racismo que firmaron el 17 dediciembre los presidentes Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brasil) y Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), en la Cumbre de América Latina y el Caribe, quetuvo lugar en Brasil. De acuerdo a lo informado, Declaración expresa la inquietud del los mandatarios ante el “resurgimiento de la discriminación, el antisemitismo yanti-islamismo, la discriminación racial y otras formas conexas de intolerancia”.
“Los presidentes Kirchner y Lula ya han tomado medidas contra el antisemitismo”, declaró el Dr. Shimon Samuels,Director de Relaciones Internacionales del Centro Simon Wiesenthal. “Este pronunciamiento abre una oportunidad para que Venezuela se una a ellos. Nuestro Centro le ofrece alpresidente Chávez su experiencia en esta materia”, agregó.
“La negación del Holocausto, el terrorismo y los llamamientos a favor del exterminio de Israel son treselementos del antisemitismo contemporáneo. Brasil ha cerrado editoriales neonazis. Argentina ha dado pasos diplomáticos, económicos y legales contra los manipuladores delterrorismo que asesinaron a 85 personas en la AMIA. Instamos a Venezuela a actuar en el mismo espíritu, denunciando la incitación al odio contra los judíos por parte de Hezbollahy cortando todos los contactos con esa organización terrorista”, manifestó Sergio Widder, Representante para América Latina del Centro.
“La próxima Conferencia de Revisión de Durban (Conferencia Mundial contra el Racismo de la ONU), que tendrálugar en Ginebra el próximo abril, ofrecerá a cada uno de estos líderes latinoamericanos una oportunidad concreta para impedir la introducción de las formas de antisemitismomencionadas más arriba. La posición del presidente Chávez será una prueba de la validez del pronunciamiento como un estándar. Asimismo, este primer instrumento latinoamericanopara la contención del odio antijudío puede servir como un paradigma en el combate contra la discriminación en todo el continente”, concluyeron Samuels y Widder.
Para mayor información comunicarse con Sergio Widder al 15 4425-1306.
El Centro Simon Wiesenthal es una organización judía internacional de derechos humanos con más de 400.000miembros en todo el mundo. Tiene status de ONG ante las Naciones Unidas, UNESCO, OSCE, OEA, el Consejo de Europa y el Parlamento Latinoamericano.

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