Resumen

RAANAN REIN, Ilan Diner. Miedos infundados, esperanzas infladas, memorias apasionadas: Los grupos de autodefensa judíos en la Argentina de los años sesenta. Estud. - Cent. Estud. Av., Univ. Nac. Córdoba [online]. 2011, n.26, pp.00-00. ISSN 1852-1568.

In late 1963, the Argentine foreign ministry expressed its concern to Israeli diplomats about several matters «that might disturb relations between the two countries». Specifically, it refer red to «military training» that Jewish youth were receiving in camps in the province of Buenos Aires under the supervision of Israeli instr uctors. «It's a real underground»,  said an Argentine official. This concern of Argentine authorities was caused by the formation of Jewish self-defense groups in the Argentine capital, determined to confront the provocations of anti-Semitic, nationalist right-wing bullies. Based on both diplomatic documents and a series of interviews with former members of Jewish self-defense groups, this article analyzes the establishment, structure, recruitment methods, training and activities of these organizations. Our main argument is that the concern of Argentine authorities was exaggerated, as well as were the fears of Jewish-Argentines from a possible pogrom, following the kidnapping of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. The organization of Jewish self-defense had first and foremost a psychological and moral significance. It was part of an effort to change the traditional stereotype of the Jew as a passive victim and send a clear message to the thugs of the extreme right, that even under sympathetic government, that would not be able to injure Jews without having to pay a price for their acts. It was also an instrument to strengthen Zionist attitudes among Jewish youth and encourage immigration to Israel. For the former members in these self-defense groups, this chapter in their biographies is an important element in their individual identities, tied to nostalgia and romanticism.

Palabras clave : Jewish self-defense; Argentine-Israeli relations; anti-Semitism; Tacuara; Adolf Eichmann.

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