IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 174 

Acknowledging the growing threat of anti-Semitism throughout South 

America, namely in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Argentina. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2009 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Acknowledging the growing threat of anti-Semitism throughout South America, namely in Venezuela, Bolivia, and 

Argentina. 

Whereas anti-Semitism is a pernicious and global phenomenon; 

Whereas recent events in South America have raised serious 

concerns about the spread of anti-Semitic violence and 

hatred; 

Whereas Venezuela’s Jewish community of approximately 

15,000 persons and Argentina’s Jewish community of approximately 25,000 have been subject to hateful rhetoric, 

intimidation, and vandalism to their communal and personal property, as well as the targets of boycotts to their 

businesses, institutions, and events; 


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•HRES 174 IH 

Whereas Jewish children in Argentina face mounting antiSemitism in their schools, including swastikas being 

painted on walls and graffiti demanding that Jews leave 

the country; 

Whereas, on January 6, 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo 

Chavez expelled Israel’s ambassador to Venezuela along 

with six other Israeli diplomats; 

Whereas, on January 14, 2009, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that Bolivia was breaking diplomatic relations with Israel by expelling the Israeli ambassador to 

Bolivia and urging that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and 

President Shimon Peres be declared war criminals; 

Whereas later that day, Venezuelan President Chavez severed 

relations with Israel, ending 60 years of diplomatic ties 

and deepening the vulnerability of South American Jews; 

Whereas, on January 21, 2009, in the Plaza Israel in the Bolivian capitol of La Paz, vandals removed a large Star of 

David from a celebrated monument, spray-painted ‘‘plaza 

Palestina’’ over the plaza’s Judaic murals, and left behind a burning American flag; 

Whereas, on January 30, 2009, one of Venezuela’s most 

prominent synagogues, Tiferet Israel, was violently attacked by armed men who fired tear gas and then desecrated the place of worship and its historic Torah scrolls, 

stealing cherished private property; 

Whereas President Chavez and Venezuelan Foreign Minister 

Nicolas Maduro are to be acknowledged for publicly condemning this appalling attack, and for their stated commitment to apprehend the perpetrators; 

Whereas Venezuela has arrested 11 suspects, 8 of whom are 

government-employed police officers, believed to have 


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been involved in planning or carrying out the attack 

against Tiferet Israel; 

Whereas the failure to duly punish the culprits of these acts 

would reward anti-Semitic behavior and encourage the 

spread of anti-Semitism as a legitimate form of public expression; 

Whereas despite this recognition of anti-Semitism, members 

of the Venezuelan Government have largely fostered antiSemitism, including continuing to unjustly question the 

loyalties of Venezuelan Jews and their connections to 

Israel; 

Whereas these events and others indicate that a climate of 

intolerance is being fostered by the aforementioned governments; and 

Whereas it is the long standing policy of the United States 

to stand firm against crimes of hatred wherever and 

whenever they occur and to work with allies to ensure 

that justice is done: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reiterates its condemnation of the attack on 

3 Tiferet Israel Synagogue in Caracas, Venezuela, on 

4 January 30, 2009, and expresses sorrow towards the 

5 victims of this heinous act; 

6 (2) welcomes the Venezuelan Government’s 

7 strong denunciation of the January 30, 2009, at8 tack; 

9 (3) calls upon the Venezuelan, Argentinean, and 

10 Bolivian Governments to take all necessary steps to 


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•HRES 174 IH 

1 ensure that anti-Semitism is not tolerated in South 

2 America and that the long-term safety of South 

3 America’s Jewish communities are secure; 

4 (4) calls upon said governments to denounce 

5 the hateful anti-Jewish coverage in the media; 

6 (5) calls upon President Luiz Inacio Lula da 

7 Silva of Brazil and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner 

8 of Argentina to insist that President Chavez live up 

9 to the commitments he made in the 2009 Declara10 tion Against Racism signed by all three leaders; 

11 (6) desires a lasting and warm relationship be12 tween the United States and Venezuela built on mu13 tual abhorrence of intolerance and a commitment to 

14 peace, stability, and democracy in the Western 

15 Hemisphere; and 

16 (7) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent17 atives to transmit a copy of this resolution to the 

18 President, The United States Senate, the United 

19 States Permanent Representative to the United Na20 tions, and the United States Permanent Representa21 tive to the Organization of American States. 

Æ 


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