The Southern Jewish Weekly

ADL Reports on Anti-Semitism in Mexico

Anti-Semitism in Mexico is grounded in a "venal press" and "anti-foreign" attitude on the part of a large section of the Mexican population, Oscar Cohen, community service director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, reported recently at a meeting of the League's Eastern Region board of directors at Freedom House, 20 West 40th St. Mr. Cohen, who has just returned from a tour of Mexican Jewish communities where he surveyed conditions there, discussed the activities of the Anti-Defamation Committee of Mexico, a joint group of leaders of B'nai B'rith and the Mexican community, organized to deal with the problem. Pointing out that most of the Jewish population of Mexico immigrated to that country within the last 35 years, Mr. Cohen declared that Jews suffer "no discrimination in education, employment, housing or social institutions, but are faced by constant and alarming attacks in the daily press."

"It must be remembered," Mr. Cohen reported, "that the press in Mexico is anti-foreigner and attacks against Jews take place in this context. No week passes without two or three major articles in Mexican dailies attacking Jews. These attacks accuse Jews of exploiting women in factories, having monopolies in certain industries and selling inferior merchandise. The charges are wild and unsubstantiated. The comparative economic stability of the Jewish community is a matter of frequent comment, but it is interesting to note that many favorable articles concerning Jews have also appeared in many sections of the press."

Though it considers the actual danger from any important anti-Semitic movement to be small at present, the Mexican Jewish community is made uneasy by an ever-present potential danger with which it feels unable to cope. In case of real trouble, Mexican Jews believe they do not have effective allies among other elements of the population who would constitute an important bulwark against anti-Semitism. Any major political change can create serious difficulties for the Jewish community, they feel.