Parliamentarians from 13 Latin American and Caribbean nations have signed a resolution in support of Israel and against the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.
The lawmakers recently met in Miami for the the Israel Allies Foundation’s Second Annual Latin America Summit on Israel.
The resolution, written in Spanish, states that the signatories “unequivocally declare, personally, our support for the Jewish people to live in peace, safety and security in the Land of Israel” and that “strong relations between the Western Hemisphere and Israel are crucial to the spread of freedom, democracy and justice around the world.”
“Boycotts and sanctions against the State of Israel and its products contribute to an anti-Semitic attitude inspired by anti-Semitism and opposition to the Jewish State…[and] are detrimental to a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and must be rejected by all actors that seek peace,” it also states.
The resolution affirms that “the eventual existence of countries with nuclear weapons in the Middle East poses and existential threat to Israel and for peace around the world.”
Uruguayan Minister Ruperto Long noted that his country was the first in Latin America to have an Israeli embassy.
“[The] Jewish people have played a very important role in Uruguay for more than a century, and we need to honor that tradition. It is unbelievable that after more than three thousand years the Jewish people have not been allowed to have their own country where they can live in peace. For me, this is an essential human rights issue to fix,” he said.
