Jerusalem, 14 August 1996
RESPONSE TO ARGENTINE HIGH COURT RULING ON ATTACK ON ISRAELI EMBASSY IN BUENOS AIRES
(Communicated by Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
In the four years which have passed since the explosion which claimed 29 lives and totally destroyed the Israeli Embassy building in Buenos Aires, the investigation has been carried out very slowly, at first by a Supreme Court judge who attempted to resign from his job, and afterwards by the entire Court, with all the difficulties involved in this.
Unfortunately for all those who were touched by the incident, nothing is known on the progress of the investigation into identifying the assassins or those who despatched them. Even so, it is possible to unequivocally determine according to findings which were uncovered at the site that a car-bomb exploded close to the embassy building, in the area of the sidewalk. The remains of this car were found in the area. This determination was made by explosives experts who arrived from Israel and who worked in full coordination and cooperation with the local professional officials. It will be pointed out that the Argentine professionals who investigated the attack, arrived at similar conclusions.
Relying on the above data, which are also in the hands of the appropriate Argentine officials, we completely reject the assumptions which have been publicized by the Argentine Supreme Court in Buenos Aires.
In any case, we demand that the investigation continue with more effort, in order to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
This effort is vital in light of the outrage of the Embassy bombing, and the subsequent bombing of the Jewish Community Center building (also in Buenos Aires), attacks which cut short the lives of dozens of people and injured hundreds more. Moreover, the speeding up of the investigation is especially urgent given the reality that terrorism is increasing in many countries around the world and that the international community is mobilizing for an uncompromising struggle against it.