Bipartisan US Congressional Delegation Visits AMIA Terror Attack Site Concurrently with National Mourning Declaration in Argentina

A bipartisan congressional delegation from the United States, led by Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visited the site of the AMIA terrorist attack on Thursday, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the bombing at the Israeli-Argentinian Mutual Association (AMIA) to honor the victims. The delegation also attended a working session on Wednesday with Mark Stanley, the US Ambassador to Argentina, hosted by Diana Mondino, Argentina's Foreign Minister, at the San Martin Palace in Buenos Aires. According to a statement from the Argentine Foreign Ministry, the meeting discussed deepening bilateral relations between Washington and Buenos Aires in light of the 30th anniversary of the AMIA terrorist attack. The bipartisan delegation, led by Senator Cardin, included Brad Schneider, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Steny Hoyer, Steven Cohen, and Daniel Goldman, all members of the House of Representatives, as well as Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Concurrently, the Argentine government declared July 18 as a national day of mourning in respect for the victims of the AMIA terrorist attack. Meanwhile, Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, promised that his government would pass a law to enhance the mechanism for absentia trials for 'serious crimes,' which would allow for the prosecution of Iranian officials accused in the AMIA case. On Wednesday, during the 30th anniversary of the bombing at the Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Milei stated at the World Jewish Congress meeting in the capital, 'We must be firm and relentless against terrorism. There is no subtle difference. There is only good and evil.' The bombing at the AMIA Jewish center occurred in 1994, resulting in 87 deaths and over 300 injuries, damaging 400 shops and homes. Argentina claims that the Iranian government orchestrated the bombing and that Hezbollah executed it. According to Reuters, the Argentine President noted the role of Iranian officials, stating, 'While they may never face a sentence, they cannot escape the eternal condemnation of a free court that proves their guilt to the entire world.' According to the report, US President Joe Biden sent a letter to this year's World Jewish Congress meeting, which was read by Mark Stanley, the US Ambassador in Buenos Aires. Biden emphasized in the letter that 'we all must do our part.' He further added, 'All of us, every nation, every government, and every individual... must refrain from providing a safe haven for hatred. We must speak powerfully against antisemitism. And we must stand against terrorism and violence, which has taken many lives.' In late April of this year, a court in Argentina attributed the deadly 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish center to the Islamic Republic, accusing the Iranian government of 'crimes against humanity.' The court stated that existing documents prove that the Islamic Republic, in collaboration with Hezbollah, committed the deadliest terrorist incident in Argentine history by bombing the AMIA Jewish center, thus labeling the Iranian government as a 'terrorist state' and an agent of 'crimes against humanity.' Tehran has denied any connection to these attacks and has obstructed the questioning of former officials of the Islamic Republic. Concurrently with Raisi's visit to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Argentina called for the arrest of the Iranian Minister of Interior. The widespread condemnation of the Islamic Republic's attack on Israel puts Middle Eastern security at risk. A court in Argentina has accused the Islamic Republic of 'crimes against humanity.' Argentina is handing over a seized aircraft 'linked to Iran' to the US. Mossad and security services thwarted a Hezbollah terrorist attack plan in Brazil. The United States has sanctioned key Hezbollah operatives in South America and Lebanon.