Latin American Broadcasters Invite Rabbi Eckstein to Discuss Israel and Jewish-Christian Ties
Tuesday, August 18, 2009

South American anti-Semitism on rise, but Evangelicals still back Israel

At a time when anti-Semitic attacks have caused at least one South American Jewish community to cancel all public events, when Jewish leaders are accusing elected officials of fomenting anti-Semitic activities, and Jews in the region are feeling more and more vulnerable, the Latin American Christian media is bucking the trend and has invited the head of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews to discuss Israel and the Jewish-Christian relationship at this month's COICOM, the annual convention of Spanish-speaking Christian mass media professionals.

IFCJ Founder and President Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who serves as the State of Israel's Goodwill Ambassador to Evangelicals in Latin America, will address the 2,000 attendees of the annual Convention of the Iberamerican Conference of Christian Mass Media Professionals in Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata, Argentina on Monday, Aug. 24th.

Anti-Zionism has given anti-Semitism a new voice in Latin America and Jews there are feeling more and more isolated, the Christian Science Monitor reported in July, but IFCJ is working together with Christian broadcasters to increase support for Israel and to educate Latin Americans about the Jewish roots of Christianity.

During COICOM, IFCJ's Latin American division will be releasing the second season of its Pregúntele al Rabino ("Ask the Rabbi") daily Spanish radio show, which is currently airing on 445 stations in 24 countries across the Spanish-speaking world. Also being released are a series of twenty-four (24) 60- and 90-second radio public service announcements (PSAs) designed to build awareness of current events in the Middle East and promote support for Israel.

As a part of a four-year old initiative, the IFCJ Latin American and Hispanic division has been networking with Spanish-speaking Evangelical leaders, pastors and the media to create dialogue and support for building a real Jewish-Christian coalition in support of Israel and against anti-Semitism.

"Jews in Latin America are feeling more and more isolated, especially given the growth and influence of Hizbullah in countries like Venezuela and anti-Zionist activity across the continent—so we are deeply gratified to see how many Spanish-speaking Evangelicals are committed to the safety and security of Israel, and to building bridges with the Jewish communities in their midst," Eckstein said. "We're looking forward to continuing to build this coalition and countering the troubling developments in the region."

ABOUT IFCJ:
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is the largest funder of social services in Israel after the government. Founded in 1983 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein to promote understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for Israel and other shared concerns, IFCJ's vision is that Jews and Christians will reverse their 2,000-year history of discord and replace it with a relationship marked by dialogue, respect and cooperation.

Stefanie Argamon
E: stefanie.argamon@ifcj.org