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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 174 Introduced in House (IH)]

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;
Whereas Jewish children in Argentina face mounting anti-Semitism 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 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 anti-Semitism, 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reiterates its condemnation of the attack on Tiferet 
        Israel Synagogue in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 30, 2009, 
        and expresses sorrow towards the victims of this heinous act;
            (2) welcomes the Venezuelan Government's strong 
        denunciation of the January 30, 2009, attack;
            (3) calls upon the Venezuelan, Argentinean, and Bolivian 
        Governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that anti-
        Semitism is not tolerated in South America and that the long-
        term safety of South America's Jewish communities are secure;
            (4) calls upon said governments to denounce the hateful 
        anti-Jewish coverage in the media;
            (5) calls upon President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of 
        Brazil and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina to 
        insist that President Chavez live up to the commitments he made 
        in the 2009 Declaration Against Racism signed by all three 
        leaders;
            (6) desires a lasting and warm relationship between the 
        United States and Venezuela built on mutual abhorrence of 
        intolerance and a commitment to peace, stability, and democracy 
        in the Western Hemisphere; and
            (7) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
        transmit a copy of this resolution to the President, The United 
        States Senate, the United States Permanent Representative to 
        the United Nations, and the United States Permanent 
        Representative to the Organization of American States.
                                 <all>
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