Iran’s HispanTV Is Ratcheting Up Antisemitism in Latin America

Iran’s HispanTV Is Ratcheting Up Antisemitism in Latin America

Source: HispanTV: The Iranian Regime’s Long Arm of Hate in Latin America
ADL
July 2024

The top two channels IRIB [the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting] uses for promoting anti-Jewish hate globally are the English-language PressTV, established in 2007, and its Spanish-language twin HispanTV, established in 2011. A joint ADL and Center for Countering Digital Hate report issued in April 2023, titled “State Hate: How Iran’s Press TV Uses Social Media to Promote Anti-Jewish Hatred,” exposed PressTV as a “foreign state hate operation” that targets “Jewish people with antisemitic tropes,” and attacks “charities, schools, journalists, academics, and individuals by promoting the conspiracy that they are part of a coordinated ‘Zionist movement.’”

To download the whole ADL report: (click here).

We here at Latin Arabia have noted the pernicious influence of HispanTV on South American culture for over a decade, now. Do a search for HispanTV on our site – we didn’t always tag it.

No doubt, HispanTV strikes a chord with some Arab-Latins.

A primer post, here on Latin Arabia, from 2013, deals with this insidious network, and can be found here.

This is an even better post.

HispanTV (and its English equivalent, PressTV) have faced bans in Europe.

But HispanTV is powerful and well known in Latin America. A Major Chilean Politician: Daniel Jadue (of Christian Palestinian ancestry) – a former presidential candidate – has had a series on HispanTV.


Posted on YouTube: June 24, 2021
From Turkish TV

Daniel Jadue’s television series (below):


The playlist was posted on YouTube: Around 2024
On HispanTV
(It can be auto-translated)

HispanTV has been thrown off of many platforms, but seems to always re-emerge.

The thing here is not to panic.

In countries where the major Arab demographic is Maronite Lebanese (such as Brazil), the political effects of the Arab communities can be neutral. Maronite Lebanese were historically hostile to Islam. Some were even friendly to Zionism.

Maronites tend to be Western in outlook, and they have assimilated easier and more successfully than other Arabs. Where the Maronite demographic is large among Arab communities, they will dampen anti-Zionism.

But in countries with large and influential Palestinian communities (such as Chile), all havoc can break loose.

The Palestinians are highly successful in Chile, and have out-sized influenced. They have distorted Chile’s foreign policy. Even Chile’s otherwise conservative politicians pander to them.

This is the audience that HispanTV would attract. While such an audience is indeed worrisome, it also has to be remembered that Evangelical Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds in Latin America.

HispanTV is annoying, but it will be drowned out by Christianity.

It’s effects on politics have to be watched though.

Evangelicals versus Iran in Latin America

Evangelicals versus Iran in Latin America


Posted on YouTube: November 13, 2023

Iran’s influence is continuing to grow, not only in the support of Hezbollah operatives, but especially through the netcasting and broadcasting of HispanTV, which sends out Iranian propaganda to the continent. And Iran assists the dictatorial regime in Venezuela.

Source: Why Iran’s Growing Influence in Venezuela Challenges the West
VOA
Michael Lipin
March 11, 2023

WASHINGTON —
Iran is striving to expand its influence in fellow U.S. adversary Venezuela, which is hosting an Iranian cultural fair this week and seeking Iranian assistance to revive the ailing Venezuelan energy industry.

(Read More)

Iran is troublemaking in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in this area of propaganda.

Whatever one thinks of pro-Jewish or pro-Israel lobbies in the United States, they are an antidote to some really ugly antisemitic disinformation out there. Indeed, Latin America is often drenched with anti-Israel agitprop that would not have been tolerated in the USA, until recently, which is a sad commentary on recent developments.

The anti-Israel indoctrination that America is sadly seeing now, Latin America has been drenched with for a long time.

Yet, oddly, Iran’s influence is more political than religious.

Why not religious?

Because Islam is being countered in Latin America – not by Jewish influence, as the Jewish population is usually small – but rather by a large and growing Evangelical Christian movement.

In Brazil, the population is 31% Evangelical.
In El Salvador, the population is 40% Evangelical — more than Catholics.
In Guatemala, the population is 40% Evangelical.
In Honduras, the population is 40% Evangelical.
In Chile, the population is 18% Evangelical.
In Argentina, the population is 15% Evangelical.

These Evangelicals tend to be very pro-Zionist.

So Iran’s influence is limited to the political arena, which is scary enough, though even in politics, the Evangelical church is competing successfully.

In the case of Chile and Brazil, the growing Evangelical power base has not stopped the governments from criticizing Israel, but it will prevent some of the Latin governments from going too far.

In one nation, Guatemala, the Evangelicals have made the country very friendly to Israel.


Posted on YouTube: February 18, 2022

El Salvador is particularly interesting, as it has an influential Palestinian (chiefly Christian) minority population. The Palestinian Christians tend to be more Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, though.


Posted on YouTube: May 26, 2019

Their present president, Nayib Bukele, is of Palestinian origin, yet somewhat pro-Israel.

So the Evangelicals are winning.


December 22, 2023 — major rewrite and title change.

Why Are So Many Latin Countries Supporting Gaza?

Why Are So Many Latin Countries Supporting Gaza?

@ajplus Why are so many countries in Latin America showing solidarity with Palestinians? Here’s what we know. #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack #Palestinians #Palestine #Israel #FreePalestine #Palestine #LATAM #LatinAmerica ♬ ■ News News-Drone-IT-AI(963995) – ImoKenpi-Dou

Posted on TikTok: November 12, 2023

A lot of info to digest.

The most important thing overlooked is that 31% of Brazil is now Evangelical, and they tend to strongly support Israel. Brazil’s Lulu can only go so far in his criticism of Israel.

Another issue is Latin culture, itself.

Latin/Spanish and Portuguese cultures center on the national liberation struggles against the Islamic/Moorish invaders of Spain and Portugal in the Middle Ages … the so-called Reconquista. Latin culture, at its core, is not friendly to Islam.

What is driving this pro-Palestinianism is the large influence of:

A) Palestinian ethnic groups in Latin America, especially Chile, Honduras, and El Salvador.

B) Iran’s propagandizing through HispanTV.

C) Leftist regimes.

And finally, one should take this news report with a grain of salt, as it is posted by AJPlus, a subset of Al Jazeera, which is a Qatari based anti-Israel media outlet.

Remember, not only Brazil, but also Guatemala has a very large pro-Israel Evangelical constituency. Guatemala is 40 percent Evangelical.

Brazilian supporters of Israel


Posted on YouTube: Early October, 2023

Guatemalan support of Israel
Bucking world opinion, Guatemala was one of the few nations which voted against pressuring Israel for a ceasefire in its war against Hamas.

Source: 4 EU nations voted ‘No’ to UN resolution for humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza Strip
Anadolu Agency (Turkish)
October 29, 2023

Among the 14 countries that voted against the cease-fire were Israel, the US, Fiji, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga.

So, remember, check out the news with discernment.

Chile & Latin America During This Crisis

Chile & Latin America During This Crisis


Posted on YouTube: October 9, 2023

Chile has a large Palestinian community — which will assert its own view — during this war. However, even the Chilean government, which is often anti-Israeli in its official positions, has rebuked the Hamas attack on civilians in Israel this October. It was a strong condemnation.

Indeed, because of Hamas’ brutality, most official authorities are supporting Israel in this crisis.

Source: Arab News – October 9, 2023

SAO PAULO: Living in countries whose presidents have expressed pro-Palestinian views, Palestinian communities in Chile, Brazil and Argentina have expressed disappointment with statements issued by these countries’ governments concerning the fighting between Hamas and Israel.

Most Latin American nations released statements condemning Saturday’s attack on Israel by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

The exceptions were Venezuela, which demanded that Israel immediately halt the occupation of Palestinian territories, and Bolivia, which said it is following developments with concern and accused the UN of inaction.

In Colombia, the Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning violence against civilians and asking both parties to hold dialogue on a two-state solution.

Palestinian-born Nicola Hadwa, a prominent Middle East analyst, told Arab News that Palestinians in Chile feel “betrayed,” adding: “That kind of declaration comes from political leaders who are subordinated to the US and Israel.”

Hadwa, who also worked as a football manager and was the first professional coach of the Palestinian national team in 2002, said: “Every day, the Israelis kill two or three young Palestinians and nobody talks about it in the media. When Palestine reacts, suddenly everybody is concerned.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s administration seems to be coming under pressure from both sides.

However, with a large demographic of Arabs in South America – even if most are Christian – there is some small degree of sympathy for the Palestinian side, particularly among the demographic of Palestinians in Latin America.

Thankfully, this time, the governments are acting rationally in spite of this pressure from pro-Palestinians.

Remember, the Arab demographic in Latin America may be large, but it is NOT monolithic.

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