Brazil’s Jews Protest Ahmadinejad Visit
Thousands of Brazilian Jews rallied to protest next month’s scheduled visit to their country by Iran’s president and to remember the Holocaust.
Some 2,500 people participated Sunday in the ninth annual Regional March of the Living in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and home to half of the country’s 120,000-member Jewish community.
Dressed in white, demonstrators took a silent walk through the streets and held a ceremony to honor the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust. Several Jewish and non-Jewish officials attended, including Sao Paulo Mayor Gilberto Kassab.
“Besides honoring the memory of those who died in the Holocaust, this event aims at speaking out against the visit of the Iranian president,” said Claudio Lottenberg, president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation. “With the presence of [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, the United Nations became a stage for second-class citizens who preach hatred and intolerance.”
Ahmadinejad, speaking last week at the U.N.-sponsored Durban Review Conference in Geneva, called Israel “a racist government.”
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
