Agencia AJN noted that B’nai B’rith Chair of U.N. Affairs Millie Magid and leaders from other American Jewish organizations met with Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero on the margins of the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Read the article in Agencia AJN (in Spanish).

Within the framework of the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations, where President Alberto Fernández will participate for the first time in person, Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero led a meeting this afternoon with representatives of Jewish Organizations at the headquarters of the Representation Argentina before the United Nations.

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of the major American Jewish organizations since February 1, 2020. In that position, he guides the agenda of the conference on behalf of the 53 organizations. national members. Malcom Hoenlein, executive director, was also part of of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CPMAJO) and Millie Magid, President of United Nations Affairs of B’nai B’rith International (BBI).

During the meeting, Cafiero stressed that Argentina recognizes the right fundamental freedom of worship and the importance of the religious dimension historically had and has in our society. “It also aims to continue to build a society of ‘open doors’ every day, where we can express ourselves with freedom and respect, and where diversity never cease to be a value and a reason for unity and coexistence in peace,” said the chancellor.

“Argentina suffered attacks on the Israeli Embassy and against the AMIA. The clarification of the facts and the fight against anti-Semitism is a Unavoidable commitment of our country. We have a memory. We want justice.” Cafiero said.

Argentina also supports the importance of strengthening the fight against anti-Semitism, one of the oldest forms of discrimination, both at the level local as well as international, as part of its policy of combating all kinds of discrimination, racism and xenophobia within the framework of a broad and robust policy of promotion and protection of human rights that transcends the subject religious and that is transversal to all public policies.

Likewise, our country has a strong commitment to the Memory of the Holocaust as part of its foreign policy on human rights in the prevention of atrocities, being the only Latin American country full member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). In 2006, a Permanent Advisory Council was established in the country that functions as the “Local Chapter” of the IHRA, composed of the Ministries of Education; Justice and Human Rights and Foreign Relations, Trade International and Cult and with the participation of various NGOs, such as DAIA, AMIA, Anne Frank Museum, among others.

At the international level, Argentina is very active in various initiatives against anti-Semitism in the main multilateral forums, either by supporting joint statements or specific draft resolutions.

Finally, they highlighted the virtuous relationship between Argentina and Israel that exceed at a wide level of government thanks to the permanent actions of organizations and individuals that link our peoples. In that context, they stressed that President Fernández’s first international trip was in January from 2020 to the State of Israel, to participate in the 5th World Memorial Forum of the Holocaust.

The meeting was attended by the vice-chancellor, Pablo Tettamanti, the Chief of Staff of the Chancellery, Luciana Tito and the Permanent Representative of the Republic Argentina before the United Nations, María del Carmen Squeff.