Chair Cardin Honors Victims of AMIA Jewish Center Terrorist Attack in Argentina on 30th Anniversary

BUENOS AIRES – Marking 30 years since the terrorist attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, and the 32nd anniversary of the bombing of the Embassy of Israel in Argentina, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered a speech at the World Jewish Congress’ event honoring the victims of the attacks and reiterating his unwavering commitment to combat all acts of hate and antisemitism.

Chair Cardin’s speech in Buenos Aires marks the second leg of his congressional delegation to the region with U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Brad Schneider, and Steve Cohen. During the trip, which includes visits to Brazil and Guatemala, delegation members held meetings to discuss issues in these bilateral relationships to include support for democracy and human rights, anti-corruption efforts, combatting climate change, protecting indigenous communities, and countering Antisemitism.

“We're here to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing, and the 32nd anniversary of the bombing of the Israel Embassy,” said Chair Cardin. “We can never forget what happened here in Buenos Aires. We can never forget the victims of these terrorist attacks. We are committed, in their memory, to make sure that justice is provided and accountability for all of the perpetrators, in fact takes place.”

A copy of the Chair’s remarks, as delivered, is available below.

First, let me thank the Argentine government for providing the appropriate venue and atmosphere so that we can properly commemorate the 30th anniversary of the bombing. I bring greetings from the U.S. delegation, and I want to welcome our fellow elected officials, our distinguished guests—it’s a real honor for me and I’m humbled to represent our delegation at this commemoration.

I want to specifically acknowledge my colleagues that are with me, Congressman Steny Hoyer, Congressman Brad Schneider, and a specific reference to Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is one of the founders of the Interparliamentary Task Force To Combat Online Antisemitism, that is participating with us today.

One of my messages will be clear; we need to implement strategies to rid our societies of Antisemitism and hate. And it’s up to us as elected officials to implement these policies and make them real. So, I appreciate my parliamentarians for being here with us. Let us take back what we learn here and implement that through our laws in our countries.

We're here to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing, and the 32nd anniversary of the bombing of the Israel Embassy. We can never forget what happened here in Buenos Aires. We can never forget the victims of these terrorist attacks. We are committed, in their memory, to make sure that justice is provided and accountability for all of the perpetrators, in fact takes place.

We also recognize that by holding the perpetrators accountable, ‘never again’ has a better chance to really mean ‘never again’ – so we don't have to experience this type of terrorist attack in the future.

But let us be realistic and recognize that this is not a safe world, not a safe world for Jews, and not a safe world because of Antisemitism, not a safe world because of hate.

We've seen this happen in the United States, we’ve seen it in South America, and around the world. We've experienced violence in the United States at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh — a stark reminder of how deadly Antisemitism can be.

And the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel, is something that is unspeakable and unimaginable to happen. Yes, Israel has the obligation to defend itself against Hamas. There is no future for Israel’s security or the Palestinians’ security unless we make sure Hamas can never do its business again.

The hostages should never have been taken, and we need to collectively put the focus on Hamas to release the hostages immediately!

I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work that's been done by our Combating Antisemitism Special Representatives and ambassadors in so many countries. We are very proud of Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt and very proud of our Ambassador Marc Stanley and the work he is doing here.

Thanks to their hard work and the hard work of the special representatives in so many countries, we now have a document that’s been announced today — a blueprint for fighting Antisemitism. It's our responsibility to share best practices and to implement those policies, and I hope that will be our commitment coming out of this commemoration.

I am pleased and proud of President Biden, who has instituted the first strategy to combat Antisemitism. It involves a whole-of-government approach and engaging the non-governmental sector.

And with that, I wanted to give my sincere thanks to the World Jewish Congress. Since 1936 you have been at the forefront of saving Jews – and you saved lives during World War II, you lobbied for the creation of the State of Israel, and you made sure that justice was provided by restitution of properties and claims, and now, you’re on the forefront of fighting Antisemitism. We thank you for helping us with this commemoration.

I want to also acknowledge President Milei’s strong leadership here in Argentina on behalf of the Argentine Jewish community. This is a community that goes back centuries – a community that is vibrant and diverse. A community of Jews that includes farmers, professors, military officers, and shopkeepers. Whether it was the Spanish Inquisition or the pogroms in Russia or the Nazi terror, Jews came to Argentina to lead a better life. It’s the same reason my grandparents came to the United States in 1902 from Lithuania, where they were on the run from pogroms against Jews across Russia and Eastern Europe.

Like my family, Jews in Argentina have overcome systemic Antisemitism. From the tragic riots to Argentina’s embrace of Nazis in Nazi Germany to military juntas, this community is no stranger to the danger of hate and bigotry.

But confronted by such violent Antisemitism in the form of bombing of a community center in 1994 or the Israeli Embassy in 1992, this community refused to compromise its values, and despite years of resistance to investigations, despite decades of delays and excuses, despite the many instances of political interference, this community never gave up on justice.

Just this April, thanks to your tireless efforts, the Supreme Court finally — finally — found Iran responsible for the bombings. And of course, there is much more work to be done. The government of Argentina and the international community needs to continue efforts to bring the perpetrators of these terrorist attacks to justice. This means enforcing the Red Notice issued by Interpol, it means extending the Red Notices before they expire. And as Chair of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I'm proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this effort. And that is why I am so pleased to join you today.

Prior to October 7th, Antisemitic activities had already been on the rise in North America and around the world. But in the wake of the Hamas attacks Antisemitism has soared. Documented verbal and physical threats against Jews, not only in the United States, but worldwide.

We’ve seen the Star of David and swastikas spray painted on doorways, we’ve seen Jewish schools change their dress codes so students will not be targeted, We've seen college students prevented from attending class. We’ve seen soccer fans detained for Antisemitic activities. We’ve seen bomb threats to Jewish institutions. It’s horrifying.

And since the October 7th attacks, it's harder and harder for other minority groups willing to come to our defense and fight Antisemitism with us. This is very concerning. This really underlines how important it is that, as the Jewish community, we redouble our efforts to build coalitions.

The Jewish community has always joined with any group that faces discrimination. We fought for civil rights and racial justice for Black Americans; we fought for religious justice; we fought for LGBTQ rights; we fought for gender equality; we fought for the humane treatment of immigrants; we fought against Islamophobia. We’re all in this together. Because we know that if any group is unsafe, we are all unsafe.

Auschwitz, Breitenau, and all the concentration camps were liberated about 15 months after I was born, so I was too young to remember the headlines. When I grew up, I heard first hand stories of the Holocaust survivors. I was raised with an understanding that ‘tikun olam’ or repairing the world was an essential part of every community through acts of charity, justice, and kindness, we are encouraged to make things better for everyone in need. This is something that has been part of my faith and has my North Star for my public service.

I recognize this has been a very challenging year for the Jewish community around the world. But we must not give up hope. We must not give up our values. We need to keep speaking up when we see Antisemitism and bigotry. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “each one of us is here for a specific purpose to help others and when we join together, we can bring about change.” Let's join together to make our world safer.

We need to keep working towards a world that is safe, and peaceful, and prosperous. Only by rejecting Antisemitism and all forms of hate will we find a path forward for all people to live together in peace, building a safer future. Thank you.

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