MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hamas' “Friday of Rage” leads to additional security measures in Argentina

“The goal is to get everyone out as soon as possible,” Cafiero said in radio statements

Authorities in Argentina – the only Latin American country ever hit by large-scale antisemitic attacks, in 1992 and 1994 – upped the security measures around Jewish people and entities amid Hamas' “Friday of rage” threats, it was reported in Buenos Aires.

“We are not going to stop Jewish life in any part of the world, which continues to be full and with more activity. We are attentive but not afraid,” Jorge Knoblovits, president of the Delegation of Argentine-Israeli Associations (DAIA) said.

Knoblovits also explained that in such a scenario all security measures had been reinforced.

“Since the beginning of this situation we made a series of recommendations in general and now the measures have been reinforced, in coordination with the State security forces,” Knoblovits also told Télam.

He also pointed out that DAIA officials met Thursday “with all the State security forces and with referents of the Ministry of Security to guarantee the attention of all possible targets.”

Hamas launched a call for “Day of Wrath” Friday, which placed the world under maximum alert, especially after a Literature teacher was stabbed to death in the northern France town of Arras by a 20-year-old Chechen-born Russian national who reportedly yelled “Allahu Akhbar” and was already on a state watch list of known persons with potential security risk. President Emmanuel Macron said it was a “terrorist” act, after which Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne decreed a state of maximum security.

Macron went to the school where the attack occurred and said the event was the result of “barbaric Islamist terrorism” before explaining that the victim “had undoubtedly saved many lives.”

The DAIA already advised the Jewish community last Sunday to “continue with its planned activities,” so long as they were carried out “in controlled and proper spaces.”

“We are vigilant but not fearful, defending the State of Israel”, Knoblovits stressed about a possible attack on Argentine territory.

He also explained that the evacuation of Argentine nationals from Israel would be carried out according to their “degree of vulnerability and need.”

”The children who were in a vulnerable situation are leaving today (Friday). They are being repatriated because the Hercules and the Air Force plane, a Boeing, have arrived,“ added Knoblovits, who is also Secretary General of the Latin American Jewish Congress.

Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero explained that around half of the 1,500 Argentines who signed up for evacuation were tourists and the other half were Argentine citizens residing in Israel. Nevertheless, ”the goal is to get everyone out as soon as possible,” he added in radio statements.