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His name was Jesús

Participants in a memorial ceremony on the 22nd anniversary of the AMIA Jewish center bombing in Buenos Aires hold photos of some of the 85 victims, July 18, 2016. (Leonardo Kremenchuzky)

Participants in a memorial ceremony on the 22nd anniversary of the AMIA Jewish center bombing in Buenos Aires hold photos of some of the 85 victims, July 18, 2016. (Leonardo Kremenchuzky)

His name was Jesús. Not Judah, Ari or Sarah. He was the final victim of the murderous 1994 bombing of a Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires to be identified. His name was Augusto Daniel Jesús.

Augusto Daniel Jesús was attending, with his mother, María Lourdes Jesús, a class on caring for people with health problems. He was 20. He would now be 44.

On July 18, 1994, a terrorist bombing ripped apart the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, better known by its acronym, AMIA. Eighty-five people were left dead. There’s a general consensus that Iran, via Hezbollah, was behind the crime. Six Iranians are on Interpol’s most wanted list in connection with the bombing. Yet, Argentina has yet to convict anyone of this crime. All one has to do is Google the name “Alberto Nisman” and the revulsion of how Argentina has failed to confront Iran will ensue.

But back to Jesús. He was, based on his name, most likely Catholic. We are reminded of the attacks in 2014 on two Kansas City Jewish institutions, the JCC and an old age home. The white supremacist killer was hell-bent on harming Jews; instead three Christians died. Hatred knows no rationality.

His name was Jesús. Will that finally get the Argentine government to put some people on trial? Will the despicable cover-up finally come to an end? We’re not optimistic. Jesús wasn’t the only non-Jewish victim.

There have been steps, from former President Nestor Kirchner and from the current president Maurico Macri. But the Argentine establishment is obviously in it, way too deep, to wholly admit their wrongdoing.

His name was Jesús. Brutally murdered on July 18, 1994, he now has a name.

May he rest in peace.




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