Buenos Aires: Argentina’s Jewish community prepares to mark the solemn 30th anniversary of the 1994 bombing that claimed 85 lives at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish center in Buenos Aires. President Javier Milei has pledged to address long-standing issues of inaction and inconsistencies in the investigation into this tragic attack.
“In 1994, a bomb-filled van struck the AMIA center, the deadliest incident in our nation’s history,” Milei stated in an address on Wednesday evening. “Today we chose to speak out, not stay silent. We’re raising our voice, not folding our arms. We choose life, because anything else is making a game out of death.”
Earlier this year, Argentina’s highest criminal court attributed the attack to Iran, citing Hezbollah militants acting under “political and strategic directives” from Tehran. Iran has consistently denied involvement and refused to extradite suspects, despite Interpol warrants and prior investigations yielding no tangible results.
Milei, a staunch advocate for both the Jewish community and Israel, announced plans for legislation enabling trials of suspects in absentia. He also committed to strengthening national intelligence to prevent future attacks and allocating additional resources to the AMIA investigation.
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Argentine prosecutors have charged senior Iranian officials and Hezbollah members for orchestrating the 1994 bombing, along with the 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, which claimed 22 lives.
“Although they may never be able to serve a sentence, they will not be able to escape the eternal condemnation of a court proving their guilt in front of the whole world,” Milei affirmed.
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Describing the April court decision as a significant stride towards justice, Milei acknowledged ongoing challenges, citing Iran’s alleged efforts to conceal facts. He recently designated Hamas, an Iran-backed militant Islamist group, as a terrorist organization following its October 7 attack on Israel.
Drawing parallels between the attacks on Israel and Buenos Aires, Milei urged Hamas to release all hostages, including eight Argentines held captive.
