We reject the case presented by prosecutor Carlos Stornelli against Vanina Biasi (national deputy of the Frente de Izquierda for the city of Buenos Aires and leader of PO) as a clear attempt to silence voices critical of the State of Israel and its genocidal actions against the Palestinian people, which in little more than eight months left in the Gaza Strip about 40 thousand dead and more than one million displaced. Among the targets of the Israeli air force are schools, hospitals and refugee centres. Added to this is an inhumane blockade that has deprived the region of food, fuel and medicine. This is one of the most atrocious acts of this century and has therefore been condemned by the world, with demonstrations and the taking of faculties, and even the rejection of numerous international organisations. Contrary to this global sentiment, at the end of November 2023, Stornelli filed a complaint accusing Vanina of violating the Law on Discriminatory Acts (Law 23.592) for a comment on her X social network account in which she questioned the Israeli government, which had presumed a hostage (the girl Emily Hand) of the Hamas group to be dead, who was in fact alive and was later released. In the tweet, Vanina pointed out that the Israeli government does not really care about people’s lives and suffering. Stornelli used this tweet to accuse our colleague of promoting hatred and religious discrimination against the Jewish community. He proceeds with the same lightness of judgement and animosity with which in June of this year he demanded the arrest of dozens of people for the mere fact of demonstrating against the reactionary Bases Law, accusing them -following the script of the Milei government- of alleged “sedition” and “terrorism”.

In the case against Vanina, to which the Daia (Delegation of Argentine Israeli Associations) and the TV presenter Romina Manguel joined as plaintiffs, Stornelli expresses his “clear conviction that anti-Zionism is synonymous with anti-Semitism” (quoted by LaNación.com, 29/11/23). This is a crude and factious argument to impede any criticism of the ongoing genocide. Anti-Zionism is NOT equivalent to anti-Semitism, but rather a criticism of the political current that vindicates the colonisation of Palestine, and it is worth reminding the prosecutor that in many cases, such as in the United States, organisations from the Jewish community itself have come out to repudiate the crimes in Gaza under the honourable slogan “not in our name”. We should also not overlook the fact that with his presentation, Stornelli is also in line with the orientation of the national government, which is firmly aligned with the United States and Israel. The accusation against Vanina is part of a more general framework of media campaigns, provocations, hundreds of threats and attempts at censorship against those who show solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Daia, which is now suing Vanina, was at the forefront of an attempt to ban Roger Waters’ concerts in Argentina. We call for an international campaign against the case against Vanina Biasi and the persecution, and in defence of the right to freedom of expression.

Let us regroup internationalist forces to fight for a revolutionary solution to capitalist barbarism

Statement of the meeting held in Buenos Aires –

prensaobrera.com