El País interviewed B’nai B’rith Director of Latin American Affairs Eduardo Kohn about the Popular Participation Movement’s anti-Israel lies and failure to condemn Hamas aggression at an event at the Uruguayan Congress, which constitutes hate speech and incitement to violence – and puts the local Jewish community in danger. Kohn also called out the Popular Participation Movement’s slander in an interview with Subrayado.

Read the article in El País (in Spanish). Watch the Subrayado interview (in Spanish) here.

Within the framework of the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Popular Participation Movement (MPP) held a conversation this Thursday that generated controversy and criticism for the statements made about Israel. The activity took place in the Acuña Passage of Figueroa, in the annex of the Legislative Palace.

The panel was composed of Nicolás Viera, head of the International area of the MPP; the front-wing deputy, Micaela Melgar, a member of the Communist Party; the member of the Palestinian Support Commission – Uruguay, Anahít Aharonián, and had the participation of the Palestinian ambassador to Uruguay, Nadya Rasheed. Deputy Bettiana Díaz moderated the debate.

During his speech, Anahít Aharonián criticized “Israeli expansionism in Latin America” and said that Israel is “a terrorist state” that “assaid military dictatorships under the Condor Plan.”

In addition, he pointed out that the Israeli company Mekorot, a state water company, “comes for water in our territories.” In essence, he said that “from Paraguay they explained that security experts from the Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) worked for the security of former Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes and his family.”

“Mekorot comes through our fresh waters and the Guaraní aquifer,” Aharonián said, expressing that Israel “is exporting liquid apartheid to our lands.”

These statements were strongly rejected by Eduardo Kohn, director of Latin American affairs for B´nai B´rith, who in dialogue with El País assured that “it is a serious fact” what happened because these statements were made in Parliament. “Beyond the issues that can be discussed of the war, there is an important legal issue, the law is violated because they enter into the wrongdoing and incitement to hatred,” he said.

“Uruguay and Israel have had diplomatic relations for 75 years, since the creation of the State of Israel, and Uruguay has asked Mekorot to advise it on water issues. Besides, Mekorot is mentioned in the dislate, which for Uruguay would be like OSE, it is a state water company,” Kohn said.

“The company came many times to advise and has made agreements. To say publicly that he is coming to seize the water is an anti-Semitic incitement that copies the protocols of the Sages of Zion, Henry Ford’s International Jew and the Andinia Plan, that idea that the Jews were going to take away the riches,” he added, and warned that this “violates article 179 of the Criminal Code, beyond the fact that it is a lie.”

On the other hand, the director of B´nai B´rith for Latin America, questioned Aharonián’s sayings about the Mossad: “What evidence does he have? If you have them, I’ll prove it.”

Kohn said that Uruguay “is a sovereign country,” but “the problem is where these statements are said.” “It’s not a bar, it’s a public speech in Parliament that incites hatred. The state of Israel and relations between the two countries are being defamed and aggrieved. If it’s not true, it’s an incitement to hatred,” he said.