The Jewish community in Argentina in general, and in Buenos Aires in particular, is one of the largest and most vibrant in the Diaspora. Tens of thousands of its members fill its institutions, whether they be synagogues, nursery schools, schools, youth movements, sports clubs, choirs, or the impressive charity organizations on a daily basis. The sense of belonging is one of its most outstanding features, but not only. The additional sense that connects all of the members of the community is the understanding that in Argentina, there is no justice.
This year, Argentina will mark 25 years to the murderous attack on the Jewish community in Buenos Aires. On July 18 at 9:53 a.m., a car exploded at the entrance to the AMIA Jewish community center building, in seconds, changing the life of the community there forever. Eighty-five people were killed and hundreds were wounded. Millions more continue to carry the wound in their heart to this day.
While members of the community have sought and demanded justice ever since, they have yet to find it. And when someone brave goes out of their way and comes close to the truth, like the late prosecutor Alberto Nisman, they are forcibly stopped in their tracks.
Rabbi Gabriel Davidovich, who was brutally attacked inside his home, Monday, is the rabbi of AMIA. The attack serves as a reminder of the injustice in Argentina. While police are "investigating" the incident, one mustn't be confused: Davidovich is a well-known figure in the country. Even the alleged "robbers" would have known full-well who he was.
Displays of anti-Semitism are nothing new in Argentina. Even in the big cities, there are Jews who wear kippahs only once they have entered a synagogue in order not to stick out. I grew up in Córdoba, the second largest city in the country, with an active Jewish community of over 10,000 people. Before making aliyah in 2001, I served as the head of the local branch of a Zionist movement. At the time, I would often walk around with shirts emblazoned with Hebrew writing. My parents worried every time I left the house dressed this way but it was important for me not to hide who I am. Still, I certainly understand those who do worry.
Social media networks are an anthropological tool that can help us understand society. I was shocked at what I read in the comments section of a report on the attack on Davidovich in Argentina's largest newspaper, Clarín. Comments like, "He deserved it," "He earned it," and "Jews, go to Venezuela" are the more refined exampled I can reference here.
Every morning, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency publish information about their activities. In Israel, terrorists know that the security forces will get to them sooner or later, and they aren't going to get away with their crimes.
In Argentina, 25 years after the terrorist attack on the Jewish community and 27 years after the murderous attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, members of the community continue to demand justice, which most likely will never come. Even Davidovich knows the chances of his attackers being apprehended are slim to none.
There is only one answer to this problem: aliyah.
