1994 Terror Attack in Argentina Impacts All of Us

Five-year-old Sebastian Barreiros had just spent the first day of his winter break running errands in Buenos Aires with his mom when a car bomb exploded, killing him and 84 other people. The attack, at the time the deadliest carried out against Jews since the Holocaust, remains the largest in Argentina’s history.

The bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) building in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994, and the recent October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas are stark reminders that terror, even when directed at Jewish communities, impacts all of society.

Each of these acts, carried out by recognized terror groups and Iranian proxies – Hezbollah is the culprit of the AMIA bombing and Hamas is the perpetrator of the October 7 assault –occurred decades and continents apart. Yet, in many ways, the attack in Argentina can be seen as a precursor to October 7, highlighting the enduring threat posed by extremists and the Iranian regime’s longstanding support of global terror.

Most of us know by now what took place in southern Israel on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, a day meant for family and religious gatherings. Many forget, however, what occurred on that July day in 1994 in Argentina. As AMIA was preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary, Hezbollah operatives, backed by Iran, loaded a vehicle with explosives and drove it into the heart of Jewish life in Argentina.

The horrors of the explosion, which took young Sebastian’s life, immediately transformed what would have been a year of celebration into a time of mourning and loss.

It has been documented that Hamas did not discriminate on October 7. The youngest of their victims was younger than 1, and the oldest 94.

Similarly, the AMIA bombing, impacted the entirety of the Jewish community and beyond. It continues to guide the work of the World Jewish Congress to this day. The organization will hold a forum this week for world leaders and Jewish groups in Buenos Aires to commemorate the 30^th anniversary of the attack with the hope of injecting new life into the efforts to bring about justice.

The immediate global reaction to the 1994 attack was significant but short-lived; the world’s focus shifted quickly, while the wounds of Argentinians and their Jewish community remained deep. Quickly, the AMIA bombing became a local issue, a local tragedy, with the world’s attention diverted elsewhere.

The aftermath of the AMIA bombing has resulted in few political consequences. It took 25 years for the Argentine government to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and freeze the group’s financial assets. Despite this, and the recent listing of Hamas as a terrorist group, the pain of the unresolved tragedy remains, highlighting the egregious inefficacy and apathy that followed the attack.

The AMIA building was eventually rebuilt on the same site, symbolizing defiance and the enduring spirit of the community. It now stands as the heart of Jewish life in Argentina, a testament to the strength and resilience of a community that refuses to be broken by terror.

The global response following the October 7 terror attack was similarly strong, with many world leaders and nations condemning Hamas’ attack on civilian targets in Israel. However, the focus, too, has now shifted, leaving the deep wounds of the Israeli population and the global Jewish community overlooked. A dramatic surge in antisemitic incidents worldwide has occurred since the October 7, with reports of antisemitism increasing by up to 1200%.

Jewish communities are determined to remain resilience and will surely bounce back from this latest surge of hate, but we cannot be left to stand and fight alone again.

Antisemitism and terrorism are not local issues, but global concerns that must be called out, countered and combated in all forms. Thirty years after the bombing in Buenos Aires, and as the world still reels from the atrocities of October 7, we must act together and declare that antisemitism and terrorism have no place in this world and double-down on our promise to eradicate it.