Israel must come clean on Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’

Jessica Sherman and Rina King

In this regard, JVJP therefore wishes to highlight Israel’s involvement in Argentina’s “Dirty War” which took place between 1976 and 1983. An estimated 30 000 people disappeared and/or were killed over eight years by the brutal military dictatorship.

The junta operated over 300 detention sites where torture was routine, including beatings and electric shocks. After being tortured, many were shot and killed or thrown out of helicopters into the sea.

Acknowledging the 40-year anniversary of the “Dirty War” last month, US President Barack Obama paid homage to the victims and admitted the US had been slow to condemn human rights atrocities.

Jews were disproportionately targeted by the junta with 2 000 of them, mainly social justice activists and trade unionists, disappearing. Increasing evidence has come to light of Israel’s role in supplying military equipment to the regime, which the Israeli government has not acknowledged.

This has forced the families of the Jewish activists to file a Freedom of Information Law request with Israel’s defence and foreign ministries for information on Israel’s links with the dictatorship.

This request for information differs to others asking about Israel’s military ties to Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and apartheid South Africa.

Israel argues that it represents and protects Jews globally. Families of the Jewish Argentine activists, who were persecuted, detained and disappeared, want to know if Israel and its embassy did enough to save them or did they help the dictatorship instead.

It is this dark period of history which shows that Israel is prepared to sell arms to any country, regardless of their involvement in human rights violations, including where Jews are the victims of these violations. These Jews appear to be easily disposable – contrary to Israel’s claims that it acts in the best interests of Jews worldwide.

In letters to Jewish Report last week by Alan Wolman and Eli Knight, they both claim Israel’s actions against Palestinians are in self-defence. The case of selling arms to a brutal dictatorship in Argentina and the Jewish “Desaparecidos” (Disappeared) show this isn’t always the case.

Jewish Voices for a Just Peace (JVJP)