B’nai B’rith International has released the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International condemns the outrageous statements made by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, comparing the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) building in Buenos Aires, which killed 85, to the NATO bombing of Libya in 2011.

The comments were made on Dec. 4 on Argentine TV. The president was quoted as saying: “I am familiar with the case, which is a very painful part of Argentina’s history. But look at how many died in the NATO bombings of Libya. If we compare these two events, we can see where the true danger lies.”

The Ecuadorian president’s comments were completely inappropriate and further showcase the threat of Iranian penetration into Latin America.  

Iran, the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror, is widely acknowledged to be behind the AMIA attack. Officials from the top levels of the Iranian government were named by an Argentine prosecutor’s report as being responsible for the bombing.

The comparison of a terrorist attack on civilians to a military campaign against a dictator is absurd and insulting to the memory of those that were killed. The bombing of the AMIA building is one of the most deadly terrorist attacks in the history of Latin America. We hope the Argentine government, and others in the region, will denounce this appalling statement.