A pro-Israel rally in Buenos Aires came to a nasty end on Sunday when anti-Semitic rioters burst onto the scene and stopped the celebration by force. Jews at the scene fought back, and the rally descended into violence.
Police whisked Israel's ambassador to Argentina, Daniel Gazit, from the scene as the scuffle broke out.
The rally took place to celebrate 61 years since the creation of the modern state of Israel. While Israel celebrates its Independence Day according to the Hebrew calendar, some communities abroad celebrate according to the Gregorian calendar, according to which Israel declared independence on May 14.
The group that attacked the gathering had planned in advance, bringing signs bearing anti-Semitic slogans. Five of the rioters were arrested on Monday.
Israeli researchers warned last month that cases of open anti-Semitism, including threats, vandalism and physical attack, had increased since the beginning of the year. The surge in anti-Semitism seems to be linked to Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, they found.
The Hamas leadership in Gaza, which sparked the military campaign by firing rockets at Israeli civilian centers for several years, has accused Israel of murdering innocent civilians during the operation. Their accusations have been widely accepted throughout the Arab and Muslim world, where Israel has been accused of war crimes and genocide.