Politic al Tensions Affecting Argentine Jewry
By ASHER MIBASHAN
(Copyright 1970, JTA, Inc.)
Since mid-1969 and through
1970, Argentina lives in the spasms
of opposing, dangerous tensions.
Some of the following items could
be headed "now It can be told."
On May 29, 1969, there was a
serious urban guerrilla attempt in
Cordoba. While the minister of
interior resigned and there appear-
ed visible- signs of lack of trust in
the government's ability to weath-
er the storm, investors started
selling stock and buying dollars to
the tune of more than $400,000,000,
a considerable amount for Latin
American standards—from fear of
an eventual .peso devaluation. A
month later Timoteo Vandor, a
conspicuous union leader was mur-
dered, while the authors of the
crime are yet unknown. The gov-
ernment clamped down with the
state of siege. Some journals were
closed. The economy of the country
took a steep turn downwards:
bankruptcies and financial crashes
became the subjects for daily gos-
sip. A feeling of insecurity seized
the man in the street.
The prospects of political change
were dim, as happens in a more
or less totalitarian regime. Fancy
theories of corporate stream-
lining, called elegantly "participa-
tionism" or "commun it a r is m"
were being launched like trial bal-
loons from the interior ministry
and adopted within the Province
of Buenos Aires, forgetting that a
majority of Argentinians evidence
little taste for fascist experiments,
beyond certain limits. The blank
check given in 1966 to General
Juan Carlos Ongania was rapidly
losing value and was recalled a
few weeks ago.
These remarks seem, at first
sight, to have not much to do
with the situation of the Jewish
community, but they define a
climate. Of course the Jews do
not live in a tight enclosure:
events affect them in their cap-
acity as citizens, in addition to
specific effects.
On another level, what principal.
ly arouses the attention of this
observer is the creeping loss of
moral standards in many Jewish
financial institutions. A dozen or
so Jewish cooperative banks had
to close down due to what could
be mildly termed "mismanage-
ment" on the part of their officers
and managers, with defalcations,
swindles and other unholy marten- the DAIA called on the subsecre-
I vers, leaving thousands of small tary of the interior ministry, who
de;ositors without a cent. expressed the usual regrets of the
A genuine financial crisis has Ongania government. He added.
developed in the Jewish district, however, that, since the police had
over and above the general eco- its hands full with other matters,
nomic recession. This affects sev- the Jewish leaders would do best
erely the Jewish funds and leaves in taking the defense of their in
the school system wrestling with stitutions in their own hands.
seemingly insurmountable prob-
During May there was a national
lems, as these cooperative banks convention_ of the Argentine Na-
were important providers to Jew- tional Socialist Party, composed of
ish schools and contributors to the several hundred neo-Nazis, led by
funds. The series of scandals, de- the son of Adolf Eichmann.
flagrating in chain reaction is
On the national level, the recent
causing revulsion in the leadership change by force of the -govern-
of the central Jewish organiza- ment, composed at present by a
tions. But not much can be done, rather ample coalition of minis-
due to lack of effective power to ters with a marked liberal record
enforce corrective steps. The Rue- and under the overall guidance
nos Aires kehilla publishes every and control of the armed forces
now and then a list of the mem- which hold some key positions,
bers stricken off its roll "for augurs better for democracy than
ethical reasons." There looms a the outspoken rightist cabinet of
widespread atmosphere of distrust, General Ongania. The tragic kid-
blocking any constructive outlook. naping and murder -of the former
The general press has dealt in de- President General Aramburu has
tail with some of the more re- triggered a strong repressive
sounding affairs and it must be action against extremist activities,
acknowledged, that though the gun left and right. It should be' hoped,
has been charged — the subject therefore, that the danger of anti-
lends itself marvelously well for Jewish excesses will diminish.
an anti-Jewish campaign—for some
mysterious reason the trigger has •■•■■■•■■■••■••■■•y■- ...........
not yet been pulled.
Holiday Good Cheer
In this not very heartening re-
view we shall dwell rather sketch-
ily on the usual particulars of anti-
Semitic excesses, which stayed
4646 Michigan Ave.
more or less within the "normal"
826-6800
pattern. Some heightening of the
Arab League's incitation campaign
could be noted at the end of 1969,
with an anti-Zionist "lecture" tour
Greetings and Best Wishes i
of the Syrian ambassador, oppor-
tunely pared by the local filials cf
SPICK CLEANER
I
DAIA, the central representative
& FURRIERS
Jewish body in Argentina.
I
I
i
Prescriptions Promptly Delivered i
In November the Patriarch of
i
Specializing in All Alterations
Anticchia, Maximos V. Hakim,
on Ladies', Men's and
i
Children's Clothing
visited Buenos Aires agitating
i 24 8 13 Greenfield
viciously against Israel, stating:
EL 7-1141
"In the last 25 years, I suffered
in my own flesh the Middle East
drama, protagonized by the
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Arabs, martyred by the Zionists.
Today the holy places are ban-
ned to Christians and Muslims
. . . Everything began with the
creation of the state of Israel."
1525 WANDA
He was energetically refuted by
JO 4=6990
the Israeli embassy, which
stressed that during the 20 years
he lived in Israel, Archbishop
Hakim had spoken differently.
New Year's Greetings
After a recent bombing attack
To Our Friends and
against 'the Jewish community
center in La Plata, a delegation of ▪
GECeD
RHARrS
rs
,
Serwer's Wholesalers
MEAT MARKET
Happy New Year — Shalom Aleichem
CADIEUX APPLIANCE SERVICE
863 8424
15349 Wyoming
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Happy New Year to AU Our Friends and Patrons
322 W. McNic
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Specializing In Americrn Food
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Real Cantonese Family Dinners
Y-OUT SERVICE
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DAVIS IRON
WORKS, Inc.
41
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Louis Eder
1751 FORT
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Lincoln Pork
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Detroit, Michigan
Holiday Good Wishes
DEARBORN BEER DISTRIBUTORS
CARLING'S BLACK LABEL BEER
RED CAP ALE - O'KEEFE BEER and ALE
6031 Joy Rd., Detroit, Michigan 48204
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Holiday Greetings
EAGLE CLEANING CO.
WALL WASHING - CARPET CLEANING
WINDOW CLEANING
7735 Fenkell
864-2340
ah 00 o 0000 00000000000000 o 0 o 0 tris a150000000000 0000000 0
A Very Healthy and Happy New Year
to the Jewish Community
FIELD'S EMPLOYMENT
TR 3-7770
t i
Happy Holiday Greetings
GREENE'S HAMBURGERS
Specializing in Carry-Out Service—Open 24 Hours
13545 W. 7 MILE, corner Schaefer
DI 1-4717
10001 W. McNICHOLS
UN 1-0188
24155 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD
GR 4-7980
AM.••3
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Pr.
Happy New Year
HIGHLAND BOLT & NUT CO.
64 Victor Ave., Highland Park
0
Sincerest New Year Greetings
HOA. KOW INN
Chinese and American Restaurant
Specializing in Cantonese Foods
13715 West 9 Mile, West of Coolidge, Oak Park
LI 7-4663
•
saL
Holiday Greetings to My Friends and Customers
JOHN KEYSTONE
Manufacturer of Fine Furs
642-4440
Happy New Year
BELLE TIRE
12190 Grand River
834-3880
Happy New Year
MANHATTAN CONTAINER CORP.
CORRUGATED CARTONS
23823 Dequindre, Hazel Park
566-8640
625 Lafayette Bldg.
and
Albert Weigle, R.E.
Best Wishes for A Happy New Year
to Our Friends and Patrons
Mr. and Mrs. Irving A. Steinberg & Family
THE FABULOUS
STAR BAKERY
UN 4-6600
13505 W. 7 Mile at Hartwell
10 Mi. at Greenfield EL 7-1291
New Orleans Mall
SAUL KATZ CONSTRUCTION CO.
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Edith Eckstat, R.E.
Hair Removed Forever
WO 3-3047
WO 3-0922
1309 David Broderick Tower
A Joyous New Year
To ALL My Friends
HENRY BURSTON
INSURANCE
Holiday Greetings
to Our Friends and Patrons
TOPINKA'S COUNTRY HOUSE
W. Seven Mile, & Telegisph
KE 1-9000
TOPIN 'S
Across from the Fisher eatre
TR 5-2614
18326 Woodward, Detroit
883-1900
O
a
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_.271 W. MAPLE,. Birmingham, Mich.
TO 8-7550
1 1940
CITY SMOKED FISH CO.
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Best Wishes fOr a
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it
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Happy New Year
EDER
FURNITURE CO.
A Happy and Healthy New Year
KAR NUT CO.
The home of home-made
German Style Sausages.
Finest Quality Meats
9930 Wyoming WE 3-0602
Season's Greetings
If the Jewish community will
be able to excise from its midst
the rotten branches, given the bet-
ter atmosphere breathed now in I
Argentina, a somewhat more opti-
mistic outlook can be offered for
the coming year.
THE DETROIT JEWISH, NEWS
. Friday, October 2, If70-51