Antisemitism in Latin America: main concepts and historical trends

Abstract

According to historian and political analyst Robert Wistrich, anti-Semitism can be considered as the "oldest hatred". Thus, it is a multidimensional concept as well as a historical and global phenomenon: the nature of the rejection of the Jews does not change and, therefore, remains unchanged, although it can change the way it is expressed in various circumstances and joints. This essay proposes an interpretation of anti-Semitism developed in Latin America, assuming therefore that it maintains distinctive and particular characteristics compared to how it manifests itself in the United States and in European countries. With this objective, a historical and conceptual reading is carried out about the main characteristics of anti-Semitism in the region. In this way, several historical antecedents that occurred from the end of the 19th century onwards are highlighted, and those arguments linked, among others, with the Catholic religion, the conflictive situation in the Middle East, and Latin American migratory processes are explored.