Latin American Jewish leaders say internal divisions, community leadership main problems
Published October 9, 2018
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) – Two-thirds of Latin American Jewish leaders approve of the transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and 82 percent of respondents believe in the two state-solution, according to a new survey.
The survey also found that the respondents believe the main problems in 2018 are internal divisions in the community and community leadership.
The Argentinean political consultancy firm Poliarquia Consultores conducted the survey for the Latin American Jewish Congress, the regional branch of the World Jewish Congress. Some 298 leaders from Jewish communities in 16 Latin American countries were surveyed for the report, with most respondents from Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Paraguay.
This is the second consecutive year of the regional World Jewish Congress survey.
When asked what are the “main problems” in the Jewish community the major answers were “internal divisions” within the community at 54 percent; community leadership at 53 percent; and assimilation at 43 percent. The threats of the anti-Semitism appeared in fourth place with 36 percent.
In 2017 the top concerns were assimilation and poverty, which dropped to third and fifth place in the 2018 survey.
Some 64 percent of respondents agree with the move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At the same time, 41 percent believe that this decision will negatively affect the Jewish community and 20 percent believe that is will positively affect the community.
Those who have a positive view believe the move will assist in achieving peace. Those with a negative view focused on security issues.
Related to the conflict in the Middle East, 82 percent of the respondents believe in the two-state solution, the same percentage as in the 2017 survey. Almost half of the respondents believe that Jerusalem should be the capital of both states. This number increased from 43 percent in 2017 to 48 percent in 2018
Half of the respondents affirmed that the Jewish community in their country has the necessary infrastructure to guarantee the safety of the community and 35 percent believe that their safety is guaranteed.
Some 75 percent of respondents believe that in their country there are isolated acts of anti-Semitism, and 86 percent of respondents consider that it is between “very” and “quite” safe to live openly as a Jew in their country.
“The results of the survey poses a great challenge for the leaders of the Jewish communities in the region,” Claudio Epelman, executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, based in Buenos Aires, said Friday in a statement.
Regarding relations with other communities, more than 70 percent of respondents believe that the Jewish community must have relationships with the Muslim world and the LGBT community, but recognize that today the link is distant.
As in 2017, respondents believe ignorance is the main cause of anti-Semitism. Three-quarters of respondents believe that the Jewish community must work against all forms of discrimination, and not just focus on anti-Semitism.
