In 1998 Mexico continued its tradition of a relatively low level of anti-Semitism,
with only sporadic incidents of graffiti and a few anti-Jewish and
anti-Zionist articles in the publications of extremist groups.

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
The Jewish community numbers about 40,000, out of a total population of
94 million. Most Jews live in the capital Mexico City and its suburbs, while
the rest are located in the cities of Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana.
Jewish immigrants to Mexico formed communities according to their
place of origin, a division that has persisted until today. Six main
communities, four orthodox (originating in Aleppo, Damascus, Eastern
Europe and the Balkans) and two conservative, as well as the Jewish Sport
Center are represented in the Jewish Central Committee of Mexico (JCCM).
The public opinion and analysis agency Tribuna Israelita implements joint
projects with various national organizations, issues a periodical, reviews
numerous national publications and seeks to sensitize public opinion to the
dangers of anti-Semitism.
The community is characterized by high enrollment in Jewish day schools
and a very low rate of intermarriage. A variety of periodicals reflect the
community's diverse political, cultural and ideological trends.

ANTI-SEMITIC ACTIVITIES AND RACIST GROUPS
Anti-Semitism was not a central issue on the agenda of Mexico's political
parties and movements in 1998. The Águilas Mexicanas (Mexican Eagles),
the only group which in the past had expressed open anti-Semitism, were
barely active and failed in their second bid to be registered as a political
party in November 1998 (the first was in December 1996).

Incidents
In keeping with its tradition of a relatively low level of anti-Semitism, the
year 1998 in Mexico was marked by only a few isolated incidents. In
November and December graffiti claiming that Jews were responsible for the
economic crisis in the country were reported in some cars of the Metro
(underground) service. Other graffiti appeared sporadically, especially
swastikas.

Propaganda
The 50th anniversary of the State of Israel and the Wye Plantation accords
provoked a number of anti-Israel statements in the Mexican mainstream
press. While the focus on Jewish themes in the periodicals of radical groups
diminished in 1998, EIR Resumen Ejecutivo, published by the news service
of the U. S.-based conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche, continued to address
them, linking them in its January edition with "British imperialism": "Great
Britain is the headquarters of terrorism, including Kach and Kahane Chai."
The 14th issue of the Moroccan embassy's newsletter, included three articles
examining the future of Jerusalem and of the Palestinian people. They
claimed the Arab nations were the victims of a "historic fraud known as
Zionism."
Eduardo del Río (Rius), a well-known cartoonist, published in 1998 The
Jews, an updated version of his 1983 anti-Semitic book From Wandering Jew
to Erring Jew, considered one of the most virulently anti-Jewish texts ever
published in Mexico. Rius' blatant anti-Semitism and racism were condemned
by such public figures as the journalist Miguel Angel Granados
Chapa (a candidate for governor of the State of Hidalgo) and the intellectual
Humberto Mussachio.
Classics such as Henry Ford's The International Jew and The Protocols of
the Elders of Zion are published locally and circulate throughout the country.

Holocaust Denial
Although there is little evidence of Holocaust denial in Mexico, the
revisionist books of Salvador Borrego of Editorial Epoca, who is one of the
most prolific anti-Semitic authors in Spanish, were available in various
bookstores.

RESPONSES TO RACISM AND ANTI-SEMITISM
In October 1998 a week-long program geared toward analyzing the
Universal Human Rights Declaration on its 50th anniversary, as well as
related topics such as tolerance and anti-racist legislation, was organized by
Tribuna Israelita, in cooperation with the National Autonomous University,
the UN and Mexico City's Human Rights Commission. Tribuna Israelita also
continued to work to promote the integration of legislation which defines
racism and anti-Semitism as crimes punishable by law, into the Mexican
Penal Code.