Latin America: Warning of a sharp rise in anti-Semitism

For the first time in eight years, anti-Semitism has been identified as the main problem facing the Jewish community in the region, displacing historical challenges such as assimilation and internal divisions.

This change is accentuated by the fact that 91% of community leaders believe that anti-Semitism has increased in their countries since 7 October 2023, a date that marked a before and after in the security of Israel and the Jewish communities. This is reflected in the results of the eighth annual survey of community leaders, which the Latin American Jewish Congress carried out year after year together with the public opinion consultancy Polyarchy Consultants.  

This is a project that analyzes the perceptions of leaders of Jewish communities in Latin America about the main challenges and opportunities of their communities. “Knowing the perceptions of those who lead the communities guarantees us a solid basis to strengthen our actions and make decisions,” he says. Claudio Epelman, executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress. 

While at the regional level concern about anti-Semitism reached its highest peak since the survey was created, in Argentina the sad background led to a particular phenomenon. Here, Argentine Jewish leaders point to the possibility of a terrorist attack as their main concern. Likewise, the interviewees in Argentina perceive a significantly lower level of security compared to those in the rest of the region.  

“While 70% of Latin American experts believe that the community could be a target of attacks, this percentage increases to 92% in Argentina,” he explains. Alejandro Catterberg, president of Poliarquía Consultores and co-responsible for the research.  

 Furthermore, while 63% of leaders in Latin America say that their countries have the necessary infrastructure to guarantee security, in Argentina this number drops to 38%.