MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Marches staged in Buenos Aires for and against Israel

“We are very grateful that here in Argentina they condemn terrorism,” Ambassador Sela said

Scores of members of the Jewish community in Argentina marched down Buenos Aires' Estado de Israel Avenue in front of the Hacoaj Club given Hamas' attacks during the weekend. They chanted slogans such as “Together, Israel will always defeat terror.”

The Argentine Israeli Welfare Association (AMIA), the Argentine Zionist Organization, and the Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations (DAIA) were among the leading groups participating in the event. Their presidents also gave speeches from a stage before crowds carrying Israeli flags.

Also marching were Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, Deputy Waldo Wolff, and former Secretary of Human Rights Claudio Avruj, in addition to US Ambassador to Argentina, Marc Stanley.

Israel's Ambassador to Buenos Aires Eyal Sela stated that the Hamas attack on his country was “the worst since the existence of the State of Israel and against any Jewish people.” Now the goal is “to do everything possible so that this does not happen again,” he added.

The diplomat also highlighted the solidarity with the people of Israel on the part of Argentine leaders and politicians once the Hamas attack was known and thanked President Alberto Fernandez for his statements and his conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

“We are very grateful that here in Argentina, as in other parts of the world, they condemn terrorism and express their solidarity with the Israeli victims,” he said.

After the Hamas attacks, the Argentine Government ordered the reinforcement of security in all areas of the Jewish community in the country and set up a border alert.

In a separate event, the Frente de Izquierda (Left Front) of presidential candidate Myriam Bregman protested in front of the Israeli Embassy to reaffirm its struggle against Zionism and in support of the Palestinian National Authority while calling for the “immediate cessation of the bombing of Gaza.”

Argentina remains the only South American country where large-scale attacks against Jewish and Israeli people have been committed: in 1992 and 1994. Hence, security measures have been upped.