AMIA bombing victims remembered as Argentina marks 32 years without justice

ByGADI ZAIGJULY 26, 2026 02:06Much of Buenos Aires and Argentina’s Jewish community gathered Friday morning at Pasteur Street at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina in Spanish – or AMIA), to mark 32 years since one of the worst antisemitic terrorist attacks in the Diaspora.The attack killed 85 people and wounded over 300 when a vehicle packed with explosives was detonated outside the Jewish community center.It also marked the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentinian history.I attended the event, where I was given, alongside everyone else, a poster of one of the victims of the attack. The commemoration began with a siren that sounded at 9:53 a.m., the exact time that the bombing occurred over three decades ago. Throughout the event, attendees would hold the posters bearing the images of the victims high in the air.The speakers included Osvaldo Armoza, president of AMIA, who said that since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel, “the international community has witnessed a terrifying and alarming resurgence of antisemitism.”Main event stage, with sign reading (in Spanish): Today we cannot lose this memory. (credit: Gadi Zaig)'A flame fueled by the heat of an injustice that burns us from within'“In the past year, there have been no significant developments in the AMIA case,” he said at the ceremony. “It’s as if it has stalled or been shelved. We oppose this stagnation by keeping our flame alive. A flame fueled by the heat of an injustice that burns us from within, but at the same time, motivates us to continue fighting.“We are fighting to ensure that, once and for all, the legislative branch implements modern laws to combat terrorism. Just as other countries have suffered this scourge, Argentina must modify its legal structure in accordance with the demands of the present day.”He then referred to the victims’ families. “You have given us an unparalleled lesson in dignity. You walk tall even though a part of your lives was buried right here under the rubble. You did not give up. You have bequeathed to us the ethical legacy of never wavering in the pursuit of what is right. Your fortitude is the main reason we are here today.”Relatives of the victims of the bombing who spoke at the ceremony included Andres Said, brother of Marisa Said; Alberto Abadi, son-in-law of Jaime Plaksin; Maria de Los Angeles Ramirez, daughter of Olegario Ramirez. The main event was hosted by Argentinian Jewish actor Martin Seefeld, who lost his friend, Fabián Schalit, in the attack.Argentinian President Javier Milei, the Israeli ambassador to Argentina Eyal Sela, US ambassador to Argentina Peter Lamelas, and Jewish Agency for Israel President Doron Almog attended the event, according to AMIA’s website.Israeli embassy bombed in Buenos Aires two yeras priorThe bombing came two and a half years after the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires; at the time, that was Argentina’s deadliest terrorist attack until the AMIA bombing.In 2024, a high court in Argentina ruled that Iran was responsible for both attacks, with Hezbollah also being involved in the 1994 AMIA bombing.The ruling also characterized Iran as a terrorist state, according to The New York Times, with the ruling adding that “a state can be held responsible for financing and planning a terrorist attack even if it was carried out by non-state actors.” The Islamic Republic has denied any involvement in the attacks.However, that same year, Milei had officially requested and signed for the arrest of the IRGC Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi.The writer is a studio producer for The Jerusalem Post, where he edits many of the newspaper’s podcasts.Follow us on Google