Twelve years ago, the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires was struck by a terrorist bomb, killing twenty-nine people and wounding dozens of Israelis and Argentineans, including Israeli diplomats and staff, pupils in a nearby school, and passersby. Ten years ago, on July 18, 1994, the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Aid Association (AMIA), the Jewish community headquarters building in Buenos Aires, was bombed. 87 people were murdered and 200 were wounded. Though all these years have passed, only slow progress has been made in achieving justice for the victims while the terrorists who committed these heinous crimes have yet to be brought to justice. We sadly honor the memory of the victims and share the pain of their families. We are outraged that terrorism continues to claim so many innocent victims all over the world.
The Orthodox Union continues to strongly press Argentinean leaders to pursue the perpetrators of these acts of violence and bring them to justice. Betty Ehrenberg, Director of International and Communal Affairs of the OU’s Institute for Public Affairs, said “The bombings of the AMIA building and the Israeli Embassy were perpetrated with the support of senior Iranian government officials and Hezbollah. Syria as well was aware of the planned attacks. Concerns about manipulation and ineptitude on the part of Argentina have hampered the progress of the trial of this crime. As the threat of global terrorism continues to spread, it is more important than ever that the United States and world bodies continue to closely monitor this trial and hold those responsible for these acts of terrorism accountable for their actions.
“The Orthodox Union calls upon President Kirschner of Argentina to intensify all efforts to solve these crimes. States and organizations that support terrorism as a means to achieve their political goals must be defeated. All nations and all international organizations must truly cooperate on all levels in order to help fight this scourge that is threatening so many parts of the world.”
The Orthodox Union requests all its members to contact Representatives and urge them to co-sponsor H.Con.Res.465, a resolution introduced by Cong. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. This resolution emphasizes the international connection to the July 18, 1994 bombing and calls for the U.S., the Argentine government and the international community to bring the terrorists responsible for this heinous act to justice. Representatives can be reached at 202-225-3121.