Argentina, Israel, and the Jews

Though Israel has always defined itself as a Jewish state with the obligation to defend Jews anywhere in the world, the interests of the State have not always coincided with those of the Argentinian Jewish community. A divergence of interests was already evident during the regime of Juan Peron (1946-1955), and problems reached a climax after the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann in May, 1960 and his trial in Israel. In this work, Raanan Rein explores the nature of Argentina's governments from 1947 to 1962 and their attitudes toward Israel and the local Jewish community. He treats the South American republic's neutral stance during World War II and explains to what extent the country served as a safe haven for Nazi war criminals.