IN THE SHADOW OF THE AMIA BOMBING: GLOBAL TERROR AND THE THREAT TODAY

- This event has passed.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE AMIA BOMBING: GLOBAL TERROR AND THE THREAT TODAY
18th July 2018 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Free
SPEAKERS: His Excellency Renato Carlos Sersale di Cerisano – The Argentine Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Dr. Shimon Samuels – Director for International Relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre; Anita Weinstein – AMIA Bombing Survivor; Michael Caplan QC – International Criminal Law Consultant; Dr. Ariel Gelblung – Latin-American Representative at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and Tom Wilson – Research Fellow in the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society
On 18th July, 1994, a Renault van bomb loaded with ammonium nitrate fertiliser and fuel oil was detonated in front of the AMIA building in a densely constructed area of Buenos Aires.
The blast caused the near-total collapse of the building. Eighty-five people died, and more than 300 others were wounded. While the attack was claimed by a fringe group believed to be a front for the Shia terror group Hezbollah, Iran remain to this day the key suspects in the facilitation and perpetration of the attack.
It has been 24 years since this brutal attack and no suspects have been convicted. On the anniversary of this tragic event we will hear from survivors, experts, and officials about the legacy of the attack, the threat of terrorism to this day, and the ongoing legal process to bring the perpetrators to justice.
By kind Invitation of The Rt Hon. The Lord Trimble PC, and in partnership with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Henry Jackson Society is proud to be hosting a special parliamentary event on the anniversary of the AMIA Jewish Centre bombing in Buenos Aires.
His Excellency Renato Carlos Sersale di Cerisano has been the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since March 2016. Between 2006 and 2010, he served as Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa and as non-resident Ambassador to Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Between January 2000 and December 2005, was Director of International Security, Nuclear and Disarmament Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; President of the “Regime of Control for Missile Technology “(MTCR); Director General of Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship; Special Advisor to the Argentine Dialogue (UNDP / UN) from February to July 2002; and Undersecretary of International Economic Relations of the Province of Buenos Aires.
Dr. Shimon Samuels is Director for International Relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. Born in London, he has degrees from the the Universities of Jerusalem, London School of Economics, Pennsylvania and Keio of Tokyo. Editor of the series, Antisemitism: the Generic Hatred (five language editions). Samuels received the Legion d’Honneur from President Jacques Chirac.
Anita Weinstein is a survivor of the AMIA bombing. She is a Sociology graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She specialises in the Argentine Jewish community and is an author and curator of internationally displayed exhibitions, digital sites and other materials. Weinstein is the AMIA Jewish Community Centre’s Director of its ‘Marc Turkow’ Documentation and Information Center on Argentine Jewry and is a former Director of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Argentina.
Michael Caplan QC was a senior partner at the law firm Kingsley Napley LLP for 30 years, practising in international and domestic criminal law until his retirement in 2016. He remains a consultant at the firm. Michael Caplan has been a part-time Judge (Recorder) in the Crown Court for over 20 years and is authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge. He has also served on the Sentencing Council and the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee. Involved in important cases of extradition, he was appointed as Queen’s Counsel, taking the silk in 2002.
Dr Ariel Gelblung is a founding Member of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Latin America and has been a Secretary of its Board of Directors since the mid-nineties. He graduated from the Buenos Aires University’s Law Faculty. Dr Gelblung represented the Center at the Argentine Chapter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and took part in the extradition of Dinko Šakić and the trial of Nazi video producer Walhalla. Since 2015, he is the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Latin America Representative and is a Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO). He campaigned successfully for their adoption of the Center’s “11-Point Program against Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia in Sport.”
Tom Wilson is a Research Fellow in the Centre for the Response to Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society. Tom specialises in the study of extremist groups and counter-terrorism strategy. His research has focused on the growth of extremism in the UK as well as terrorist organisations in the Middle East. He regularly appears on broadcast media including the BBC, Sky and CNN, offering his analysis on issues of extremism and terrorism. He has been published in the Wall Street Journal, the Telegraph, the Spectator, Commentary Magazine, Standpoint and other outlets. Tom attended Royal Holloway University and UCL, where he obtained a BA and MA in Modern History.
Event Summary
On the 18th of July, the Henry Jackson Society held an event to commemorate the twenty-fourth anniversary of the AMIA Bombing with a panel of distinguished guests including His Excellency The Ambassador of Argentina, Michael Caplan QC, Anita Weinstein, a survivor of the attack, Dr. Shimon Samuels, director for international relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Dr. Ariel Gelblung, a founding member of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, and, Tom Wilson, a research fellow at the Centre for the Response to Radicalization and Terrorism. The panel was moderated by The Right Honourable The Lord Trimble, PC. The talk included many different perspectives on the issue ranging from personal accounts of the attack to the legal framework to apprehend the attackers to the continued effects and repercussions for both the Jewish and international community.
Dr. Shimon Samuels opened up the event by providing the context for the motivation of the attacks, the effects of the attacks and the continued relevance of the effects. Those responsible for the attack have eluded justice despite the efforts to find and try the people responsible for this tragedy. As Samuels stated, the search for the perpetrators is to signal, “longevity is not an excuse for impunity”. Samuels emphasized the need to find the attackers to provide closure to victims of the terror attack and to pursue justice. Samuels concluded by reading two messages from groups that were unable to attend the event. The first message was from AMIA, which reaffirmed its place as the heart of the Jewish community in Argentina for over twenty years and stated that it will continue to be in the face of one of the largest anti-Semitic actions since World War II. The second message was from the Head of the American States who in a letter expresses his support in the fight against racial hatred and repeats his commitment to peace.
His Excellency The Ambassador of Argentina expressed his condolences for the attack and delivered remarks that emphasized support to the victims. His Excellency also stated that he would remain an ardent advocate for the pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims. Comparing recent terrorist tasks in the United Kingdom, His Excellency demonstrated a solidarity between the British and Argentine’s governments. For his concluding remarks, His Excellency declared that acts of terrorism against the international community were unacceptable and the continued escape from prosecution was an act of terrorism against the law.
Dana Erlich – Political Counsellor at the Israeli Embassy and a native of Argentina. She spoke of how the biggest frustrations from the attacks was the lack of expectations of the event. With acts of terror happening across the war she expressed how fighting terror together helps to build an international community. Erlich expressed a commitment to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
Next, a personal account of the attack from survivor, Anita Weinstein. Weinstein never would have believed that she would have been a target of terrorism and anti-Semitism. Weinstein even gave an extremely detailed retelling of her thought process when she first realized that there had been an attack. Weinstein recalled how her body and brain were present in experiencing the attack but, “were paralyzed” from responding. After surviving the attacks, Anita said her biggest victory was being able to live. Weinstein explained that terrorists wanted her to die but she could defeat them by finding the will to live. Weinstein also explained how difficult it was for her mother, a Holocaust survivor, to believe there was another anti-Semitic attack at this scale since the Holocaust. Weinstein concluded that justice and memory are essential in society to stop an attack like the AMIA bombings from happening again.
Tom Wilson is a research fellow for the Centre for the Response to Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society. Wilson was instrumental in providing greater context for how these terror attacks happen and how the perpetrators can escape apprehension. As Wilson explained, it is unfortunate how the government and the general public may not take state sponsored terrorism as seriously as necessary and the AMIA bombings are a devastating example of this. With the continued lack of persecution, there is an unfortunate message sent to Hezbollah and HAMAS that they are legitimized which might prompt them to have more attacks. A big obstacle is that the public is largely unaware of the threats that Iran holds especially when there have been two specific instances where Iran have sponsored acts of terror to the United Kingdom.
Dr. Ariel Gelblubg is a founding member of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Latin America and has taken part in extradition of Dinko Šakić. Gelblung was able to provide the legal context for the prosecution of the perpetrators and why there has been difficulty in bringing the accused to trial. The case is very complex and actually involves four cases in total. There is a lack of progress in the case because there is no accused present to be judged as they are evading arrest. Gelburg called upon the international community to help with the search for the accused and to bring them to trial. A difficulty with the process is the lack of extradition treaties with two of the countries where the accused are suspected to be hiding, Russia and China.
Michael Caplan is part of the Queen’s Counsel and was a senior partner at the Kingsley Napley law firm. Caplan was instrumental in explaining the legal groundwork for extradition and the possible achievement of the process. It must go through Interpol channels and requires the cooperation of many international bodies and countries. First, an international arrest warrant must be issued by an Argentinian judge, which is then sent to Interpol. Interpol then authorizes a red notice. A red notice lets law enforcement know that an individual is wanted for a crime and should be arrested and prepared for extradition, if they escape they are then considered a fugitive. As Caplan explained, in theory the red notice system should work well but there are certain countries that ignore the notices. Russia, where one of the accused is presumed to be, is not very forthcoming with international extradition, which makes it difficult to bring them to trial. Caplan also explained that there are other unique scenarios in which a trial can take place. Besides the country that issued the red notice, it is possible for a trial to happen in the country where the subject of the red notice was found or even an independently agreed upon country, as was the case of the Lockerbie bombing trial.
The event reaffirmed support for the victims and survivors of the attack and included many pledges for international justice to be taken up so the ultimate closure could be given to those affected by the AMIA attacks.
RELATED EVENTS
Eastern European Security: 5 Years from Maidan
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in early 2014, gave rise to fears that the Kremlin might try its luck militarily elsewhere … Continued
Women’s Voices In Extremism
It is clear that women serve as facilitators, supporters, and instigators of violence in terrorist movements. This panel will discuss … Continued
UNWRA: Time for a Rethink?
There are many reasons why the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians has foundered. One of the most contentious issues between … Continued
The Price of Prosperity
As President Donald Trump confounds Washington DC and promises to reshape policy from taxation to healthcare to foreign affairs, governments and … Continued
Evolution of Russia’s Foreign Policy: 5 Years from Maidan
Five years ago next month, Russia annexed Crimea in the first forcible annexation of the territory of a European country … Continued
Britain’s Strategic Interest in South China Sea
In late August last year stories began to emerge in the media of a confrontation between the Royal Navy and … Continued
Nationalism and Internationalism in the Age of Populism
Western liberalism is under attack, not only at home also but from newly-emboldened authoritarian states abroad. Across the West, states … Continued
Ukraine: 5 Years on from Maidan
In January 2014, Ukraine’s then-President Victor Yanukovych passed a series of ‘anti-protest’ laws to quash growing unrest in the country. … Continued
The Sarawak Report
The 1MDB scandal, the theft of billions of dollars from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, and the attempt to cover it … Continued
Global Britain and the Future of Europe
As the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union, its position in relation to the continental mainland is once again … Continued
The Full English Brexit
“Whether we like it or not, Brexit will happen at 11 PM on 29 March 2019. That much is sure and is … Continued
The Future of Capitalism: Facing the New Anxieties
Deep new rifts are tearing apart the fabric of Britain and other Western societies: thriving cities versus the provinces, the … Continued
Understanding the Uighur Situation in Xinjiang
In August of last year, human rights experts in the UN called on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to … Continued
Lessons from Churchill for the Contemporary Age
Since the last major biography of Churchill, forty-one sets of papers have been deposited at the Churchill Archives, and The … Continued
Future Politics
Future Politics confronts one of the most important questions of our time: how will digital technology transform politics and society? … Continued
Dark Commerce: How a New Illicit Economy Is Threatening Our Future
Though mankind has traded tangible goods for millennia, recent technology has changed the fundamentals of trade, in both legitimate and … Continued
Belt and Road: A Chinese World Order – Implications for “Global Britain”
China’s Belt and Road strategy is acknowledged to be the most ambitious geopolitical initiative of the age. Covering almost seventy countries by land … Continued
Why Middle Eastern Jewish Refugees Are Key to Understanding and Resolving the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Jews lived continuously in the Middle East and North Africa for almost 3,000 years. But in just 50 years, indigenous communities … Continued
Secular States, Religious Politics: India, Turkey, and the Future of Secularism
India and Turkey were the two exemplars of twentieth-century ‘secular states’ outside of the West. Professor Sumantra Bose believes that … Continued
Movie screening ‘Better Angels’
At a time when the world’s two acknowledged superpowers seem to be moving closer towards economic and political conflict, a … Continued
Nationalist Populism and the Future of Political Risk in the West
The political events of recent years have sent shockwaves throughout the established order of Western liberal democracies. Election after election … Continued
Global Britain and Vietnam
As global trade becomes increasingly maritime in nature, so too it is beginning to follow the centre of the global economy, … Continued
The McCain Legacy and the Magnitsky Act
The United States’ adoption of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 marked a watershed in America’s, … Continued
The Future of ‘Global Britain’ as a ‘Seapower State’
Prof. Andrew Lambert’s new book, Seapower States examines how Britain and four other seapowers used their special identities to inform … Continued
The Left’s Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Anti-Semitism
Dave Rich’s updated edition of The Left’s Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Antisemitism (2018) contends that antisemitism is a … Continued
Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters
At a time when economics and politics are ever more polarized between left and right, Jesse Norman MP in his 'Adam … Continued
The Road to Unfreedom
Long before the election of Donald Trump, Timothy Snyder began to issue warnings concerning threats to American democracy. A leading … Continued
Women, Peace and Security Index
The status of women offers key insights into a nation's prosperity and security. The first-ever Women, Peace and Security Index offers … Continued
Polonium, Novichok, Propaganda
Since Vladimir Putin came to power in Russia in 2000, a defining trait of his regime has been its use … Continued
Women and Sharia Law
Human Rights activist and Arab scholar Dr. Elham Manea in her book Women and Sharia Law: The Impact of Legal Pluralism in … Continued
Global Britain and the South China Sea
Over the past 4 years, the People’s Republic of China has built a number of fortress islands in the South … Continued
Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take It Back
Moneyland is the secret country of the wealthy and unscrupulous, the place where they put their assets, their children and … Continued
How Russia Abuses Interpol – And How To Stop It
It is widely recognised that Russia abuses Interpol. Russia uses the International Criminal Police Organization to harass dissidents, political opponents, … Continued
Ending the Endless War? A New Strategy for Afghanistan
The Afghanistan War has now lasted for 17 years, and estimates suggest has cost the US government upwards of $750 … Continued
Under Siege: The Persecution of Minorities in the Middle East
The Middle East remains one of the most tumultuous regions in the world today, with its many ethnic and religious … Continued
UK-US Financial Cooperation After Brexit
The level of cooperation between the United Kingdom and the United States has been described as “unparalleled” among major powers. … Continued
HJS Report Launch: Negotiating the Peace: Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula
The past 18 months have seen an immense amount of economic, diplomatic, and even military activity relating to the Korean … Continued
Nine Lives: My Time as MI6’s Top Spy Inside Al-Qaeda
As one of al-Qaeda's most respected bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and swore … Continued
Exploding Data: Reclaiming Our Cyber Security in the Digital Age
The most dangerous threat we face today is no longer military, but rather the increasingly pervasive exposure of our personal … Continued
President Trump, the EU and the UK
Donald Trump campaigned in 2016 by explicitly rejecting the foreign policy of recent presidents, Democrat and Republican. Perhaps nowhere was … Continued
HOW TO RIG AN ELECTION
To book for our next event, Exploding Data: Reclaiming Our Cyber Security in the Digital Age, press here. SPEAKERS: Dr … Continued
END OF AN ERA: HOW CHINA’S AUTHORITARIAN REVIVAL IS UNDERMINING ITS RISE
SPEAKER: Professor Carl Minzner, author, End of an Era China’s reform era is ending. Core factors that characterised its political stability, … Continued
COLLAPSE: EUROPE AFTER THE EUROPEAN UNION
SPEAKER: Dr Ian Kearns, author, Collapse: Europe After the European Union Could the European Union collapse in the near future? Following … Continued
IN THE SHADOW OF THE AMIA BOMBING: GLOBAL TERROR AND THE THREAT TODAY
SPEAKERS: His Excellency Renato Carlos Sersale di Cerisano - The Argentine Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Dr. Shimon Samuels - … Continued
RUSSIA’S ASSASSINATIONS ABROAD
SPEAKERS: Marina Litvinenko, activist and campaigner; Luke Harding, Guardian correspondent; and Giles Udy, historian and author During Vladimir Putin’s time in power a … Continued
PESHMERGA: ‘THOSE WHO FACE DEATH’
SPEAKER: Dr Simon Ross Valentine, author, Peshmerga: 'Those Who Face Death' Before the invasion of northern Iraq by ISIS in … Continued
TRUMP AND TRADE DEFICITS
SPEAKER: Dr Linda Yueh, economist and author As we anticipate the visit of President Donald Trump to the UK, many … Continued
BY MORE THAN PROVIDENCE: GRAND STRATEGY AND AMERICAN POWER IN THE ASIA PACIFIC SINCE 1783
SPEAKERS: Dr Michael Green - Author of By More Than Providence and Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair … Continued
GLOBAL BRITAIN AND INDIA: A NEW ‘SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP’?
In the midst of some great changes in the international system, countries have been left with the qaundry of how … Continued
BELLINGCAT, OPEN SOURCE INVESTIGATIONS, AND THE TRUTH ABOUT MH17
SPEAKER: Eliot Higgins, Founder of Bellingcat The destruction of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 shocked the … Continued
ASIAN WATERS: THE STRUGGLE OVER THE ASIA-PACIFIC AND THE STRATEGY OF CHINESE EXPANSION
SPEAKERS: Humphrey Hawksley, author of Asian Waters: The Struggle Over the Asia-Pacific and the Strategy of Chinese Expansion ; Bill Hayton, Associate Fellow … Continued
THE SECRET WORLD: A HISTORY OF INTELLIGENCE
SPEAKER: PROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER ANDREW, Author of The Secret World: A History of Intelligence Partly because of official secrecy, no 20th century … Continued
BETWEEN KIN AND COSMOPOLIS: AN ETHIC OF THE NATION
PROFESSOR NIGEL BIGGAR, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology, Oxford University, in conversation with Douglas Murray The nation-state is … Continued
THE ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
SPEAKER: EHUD OLMERT, former Prime Minister of Israel It’s been 10 years since the last meaningful peace deal was put … Continued
HORIZON 2020: WHAT WILL THE MIDTERMS TELL US ABOUT THE FUTURE OF U.S. ELECTIONS?
Whatever one’s feelings toward the outcome of the 2016 US elections, there can be no doubting the historic impact and … Continued
NATO: EUROPEAN SECURITY AT A TIME OF TRANSATLANTIC UNCERTAINTY
As Britain considers its relationship with Europe, European security has never been more precarious, with Russian revanchism on the rise … Continued
HJS REPORT LAUNCH: “DEFENDING EUROPE: ‘GLOBAL BRITAIN’ AND THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN GEOPOLITICS”
As the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, geopolitics is returning to the European continent. Germany and France are squabbling … Continued