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Venezuela Called on Anti-Semitism

International body is preparing anti-racism convention

by
Marc Tracy
March 10, 2010
Hugo Chávez last month.(Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images)
Hugo Chávez last month.(Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images)

While incidents of anti-Semitism have cropped up in Venezuela, and while some have argued that President Hugo Chávez deliberately cultivates an anti-Semitic atmosphere, B’nai B’rith International draws our attention to a new report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which, drawing on B’nai B’rith testimony, represents the most prominent formal acknowledgment of (and concern for) Venezuelan anti-Semitism.

Among other things, the group noted that Venezuela did not cooperate with the report, which was published under the aegis of the Organization of American States.

The next step for the OAS is the drafting of an Inter-American Convention concerning racism. B’nai B’rith says it is working to get an explicit mention of anti-Semitism in the document.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.