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 through-
out South America, namely in Venezuela, Bolivia, and 
Argentina. 
Whereas anti-Semitism is a pernicious and global phe-
nomenon; 
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 ap-
proximately 25,000 have been subject to hateful rhetoric, 
intimidation, and vandalism to their communal and per-
sonal 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 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 Mo-
rales announced that Bolivia was breaking diplomatic re-
lations 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 Bo-
livian 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 be-
hind a burning American flag; 
Whereas, on January 30, 2009, one of Venezuela’s most 
prominent synagogues, Tiferet Israel, was violently at-
tacked by armed men who fired tear gas and then dese-
crated 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 con-
demning this appalling attack, and for their stated com-
mitment 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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•HRES 174 IH 
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 ex-
pression; 
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 gov-
ernments; 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, at-
tack; 
(3) calls upon the Venezuelan, Argentinean, and 
Bolivian Governments to take all necessary steps to 
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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 Declara-
tion Against Racism signed by all three leaders; 
(6) desires a lasting and warm relationship be-
tween the United States and Venezuela built on mu-
tual abhorrence of intolerance and a commitment to 
peace, stability, and democracy in the Western 
Hemisphere; and 
(7) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent-
atives to transmit a copy of this resolution to the 
President, The United States Senate, the United 
States Permanent Representative to the United Na-
tions, and the United States Permanent Representa-
tive to the Organization of American States. 
Æ 
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