Today marks the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Iran-backed Hizballah bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "We honor the memory of the 85 Argentines – Jews and non-Jews – killed in the attack and recall the scores who were injured," said Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. "We also remember the five Israelis and a Bulgarian national killed 12 years ago today in another Hizballah bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria. We are committed to holding the perpetrators of these vicious attacks to account."
The AMIA bombing had been the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust until Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7 last year. Today's commemoration occurs amid an alarming surge in global antisemitism. "Since the October 7 attacks, we have seen a dramatic increase in violent incidents and hateful discourse against Jews and Jewish communal institutions and businesses in many countries, including in the United States, just as we have seen a dramatic increase in Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims," Blinken noted. "We condemn all manifestations of antisemitism and other forms of hatred and urge all governments to unequivocally do so as well."
On July 17, on the eve of the AMIA bombing anniversary, more than 30 countries joined together in Buenos Aires to launch the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism. The United States played a leadership role alongside entities such as the European Union, Organization of American States, Government of Argentina, among others. These guidelines aim to identify practical actions that governments, international bodies, civil society organizations, and individuals can take against antisemitism wherever it occurs.
For further information visit: Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism – United States Department of State.
