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| Israel Rebukes Argentina for Deal With Iran to Investigate ’94 Attack | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Israel strongly criticized Argentina on Tuesday, summoning its ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem to explain Argentina’s agreement with Iran to establish a joint commission to investigate the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, an attack for which Tehran is widely blamed. | |
| The Foreign Ministry’s deputy director general for Latin America “conveyed Israel’s astonishment and disappointment at the Argentine government’s decision to collaborate with Iran,” according to a statement from the ministry. | The Foreign Ministry’s deputy director general for Latin America “conveyed Israel’s astonishment and disappointment at the Argentine government’s decision to collaborate with Iran,” according to a statement from the ministry. |
| It added that Israel had “protested the unacceptable attitude of the Argentine government toward Israel since the beginning of contacts between Buenos Aires and Tehran,” saying that Argentina had not responded to Israel’s requests to be kept informed of the diplomatic moves with Iran, nor of how Argentina envisaged bringing the perpetrators to justice. | It added that Israel had “protested the unacceptable attitude of the Argentine government toward Israel since the beginning of contacts between Buenos Aires and Tehran,” saying that Argentina had not responded to Israel’s requests to be kept informed of the diplomatic moves with Iran, nor of how Argentina envisaged bringing the perpetrators to justice. |
| Israel’s ambassador to Argentina was expected to request a meeting with Argentina’s foreign minister, Hector Timerman, in the coming days for clarification of the motivations for the agreement that was announced by Argentina on Sunday. | |
| For years, Israel has sought to isolate Iran internationally as part of an effort to pressure the Iranians over their disputed nuclear program and to call attention to what the Israeli government considers Iranian complicity in terrorist attacks around the world, many of them aimed at Israeli targets. | For years, Israel has sought to isolate Iran internationally as part of an effort to pressure the Iranians over their disputed nuclear program and to call attention to what the Israeli government considers Iranian complicity in terrorist attacks around the world, many of them aimed at Israeli targets. |
| Iran, which considers Israel an illegitimate country, has denied Israel’s accusations and has in turn accused Israeli agents of terrorist attacks inside Iran. | Iran, which considers Israel an illegitimate country, has denied Israel’s accusations and has in turn accused Israeli agents of terrorist attacks inside Iran. |
| Israel has said the Tehran government was behind attacks on Israeli Embassy personnel in India and Georgia last February. Israeli and American officials then accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group with ties to Iran, of responsibility for an attack on a bus of Israeli vacationers in the Bulgarian resort of Burgas in July. | Israel has said the Tehran government was behind attacks on Israeli Embassy personnel in India and Georgia last February. Israeli and American officials then accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group with ties to Iran, of responsibility for an attack on a bus of Israeli vacationers in the Bulgarian resort of Burgas in July. |
| The Buenos Aires bombing nearly two decades ago, which devastated the Argentina Israelite Mutual Association headquarters, is considered the worst terrorist attack in Argentina. It was carried out by a suicide bomber who drove a van full of explosives into the building, killing 85 people and wounding about 300. Two years earlier, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 29. | The Buenos Aires bombing nearly two decades ago, which devastated the Argentina Israelite Mutual Association headquarters, is considered the worst terrorist attack in Argentina. It was carried out by a suicide bomber who drove a van full of explosives into the building, killing 85 people and wounding about 300. Two years earlier, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 29. |
| Neither case has been solved, but after years of delays and botched investigations, a special prosecutor in Argentina who took over the investigation in 2005 accused Hezbollah of carrying out the community center bombing and accused senior Iranian officials of planning and financing it. | Neither case has been solved, but after years of delays and botched investigations, a special prosecutor in Argentina who took over the investigation in 2005 accused Hezbollah of carrying out the community center bombing and accused senior Iranian officials of planning and financing it. |
| Iran has refused to carry out international arrest warrants for nine people Argentine investigators suspect in the attacks. But under the agreement with Argentina, Iran will now permit prosecutors to interrogate suspects in Tehran. The suspects include a former Iranian president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Iran’s current defense minister, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi. | |
| The agreement also establishes a joint committee of inquiry in which members cannot be Argentine or Iranian. Israel denounced the new deal, saying that the recommendations of the joint committee would not be mandatory and that it would provide Iran with the ability to delay the committee’s work indefinitely. The Foreign Ministry said, “It is doubtful whether this is how justice will be rendered.” | |
| Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, was quoted by the newspaper Haaretz as saying that holding a joint investigation with Iran was “like inviting the murderer to participate in the murder investigation.” | Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, was quoted by the newspaper Haaretz as saying that holding a joint investigation with Iran was “like inviting the murderer to participate in the murder investigation.” |
| While Israel is not directly involved in the case — the bombing took place on Argentine soil and was aimed at Argentine citizens — it says that there was a clear resemblance between that attack and the earlier bombing of the Israeli Embassy, and that Israel therefore expected to be able to follow the investigations. | While Israel is not directly involved in the case — the bombing took place on Argentine soil and was aimed at Argentine citizens — it says that there was a clear resemblance between that attack and the earlier bombing of the Israeli Embassy, and that Israel therefore expected to be able to follow the investigations. |
| Iran, by contrast, has welcomed news of the agreement, and the state-run news media have portrayed it as an opportunity for Iran to vindicate itself and improve ties with Argentina. The semiofficial Fars News Agency said “18 years of effort have failed to advance the case or prove anything against Iran, indicating that Iran is innocent.” | Iran, by contrast, has welcomed news of the agreement, and the state-run news media have portrayed it as an opportunity for Iran to vindicate itself and improve ties with Argentina. The semiofficial Fars News Agency said “18 years of effort have failed to advance the case or prove anything against Iran, indicating that Iran is innocent.” |
| Fars quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying, “We think studying this issue should definitely result in transparency and finding the reality.” | Fars quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying, “We think studying this issue should definitely result in transparency and finding the reality.” |