Language:
English
Year of publication:
2012
Titel der Quelle:
Journal of Modern Jewish Studies
Angaben zur Quelle:
11,3 (2012) 357-376
Keywords:
Youth movements, Jewish
;
Antisemitism
;
Jews History 1945-
;
Argentina Foreign relations
;
Israel Foreign relations
Abstract:
The years after the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann, in 1960, were the most difficult for Jews in Argentina since the pogrom of the Tragic Week in 1919. Antisemitic propaganda, vandalism against Jewish institutions, and attacks against Jewish schoolchildren and university students continued well into the mid-1960s, carried out by Catholic and nationalist youth organizations. The Jewish communal “establishment” reacted on a political level, denouncing the attacks to the authorities and at international forums. Nevertheless, many young Jews, mainly members of Zionist youth movements, organized self-defense groups under the supervision of the Israeli “Mossad”. Their activities consisted of physical training, providing security for events, guarding Jewish schools and synagogues, and escorting Israeli dignitaries. They also infiltrated antisemitic organizations, beat up hooligans, and attacked nationalist demonstrations. Concludes that the activities of the Jewish self-defense groups were amateurish, and that their effectiveness was doubtful. However, these activities had a strong psychological effect on the Jews in the country and on Argentinian public opinion in general, in the sense that the Jews presented themselves as capable of reacting violently against attacks and as able to defend their honor.
DOI:
10.1080/14725886.2012.722766
URL:
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