Buenos Aires/Paris – Roberto Jefferson,former Brazilian Federal Congressman and President of the PTB party, posted an offensive anti-Semitic statement on his social networks, linking Judaism with infanticide and the cult ofSatan: “Baal, satanic deity, Canaanites and Jews sacrificed children to receive his favor. Today, historyrepeats itself."
Jefferson, who a week ago also attacked the LGBT community on social media, will face a criminal suit by CONIB (NationalJewish Confederation of Brazil)
"The Wiesenthal Center supports the action of CONIB and demands that the Brazilian judicial authorities act to impose thehighest penalty for a despicably antisemitic incitement, aggravated by a politician/hatemonger," stated the Director for Latin America, Dr. Ariel Gelblung.
Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Wiesenthal Center added that, “Today, Brazil was one ofonly six states to vote against an anti-Israel resolution – introduced by Chile, Pakistan,Venezuela and Palestine – at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva... It is ironic that aBrazilian politician, in parallel, takes the path of antisemitic blood libel... Brazil should respond to the call of both the Organization of American States [https://www.wiesenthal.com/organization-of-american-1.html] and the Wiesenthal Centre to adopt theDefinition of Antisemitism of the International Alliance for the Remembrance of the Holocaust (IHRA) as a legal arm to counter such political hate campaigns incompatible with a democraticregime."
"Brazil should now follow the path of Uruguay, Argentina and Guatemala in adopting the definition," concluded theCentre officials
For further information, please contact Dr. Shimon Samuels at +33609770158 or Dr. Ariel Gelblung at +54 9 1149695365.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization numberingover 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)
