From Dec. 3-5, B’nai B’rith International held its annual policy conference in Montevideo, Uruguay-the first international B’nai B’rith event ever held in Latin America. Former Chilean President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Vice-Prime Minister of Israel Moshe Yaalon and U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Hannah Rosenthal were among the conference’s many high-profile speakers. They spoke about issues from efforts to delegitimize...

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced that he will request a Congressional hearing on the threat to the United States posed by Iran’s diplomatic and espionage activities in Latin America first thing next year in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. The hearing will examine the growing influence of Iran in Latin America and the implications for the U.S. and its allies in the region. The hearing follows the Iranian...

Caracas - The Venezuelan Government released an official communication yesterday denouncing accusations made against Venezuela by Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon as “slanderous” and “abusive”. Yaalon accused Venezuela of working with Iran to create a “terrorist infrastructure” in Latin America that could “attack the interests of the United States or in the United States,” during his visit to Uruguay this week. The Venezuelan Government...

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico uncovered and stopped an international plot to smuggle late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Saadi into the country using fake names and false papers, authorities said Wednesday. A Canadian woman, a Danish man and two Mexicans were arrested on November 10 and 11 over an elaborate plan to bring Saadi Gaddafi, who is now in Niger, and his family to Mexico using forged documents, safe houses and private flights, they said. Mexican officials acted on a tip...

Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon declared on Monday in an interview that Iran is framing, with the little help of Venezuela, a "terrorist infrastructure" in Latin America against the United States, Israel and their allies. "The idea is framing a terrorist infrastructure to be underlying for a while and in due time be able to attack the interests of the United States or in the United States," as well as "Israeli or Jewish interests or of any other country...

Amid last night's Republican presidential debate on foreign policy, one of the more obscure references made by candidates was to the threat of Islamic terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah operating in Latin America. Both Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cited Islamist threats in Latin America. Governor Perry claimed that "Hamas and Hezbollah are working in Mexico, as well as Iran, with their ploy to come into the United States," and warned of...

BOGOTA, Colombia -- President Juan Manuel Santos has reiterated during a visit by the Palestinian leader that Colombia will only recognize a Palestinian state that has been established through negotiations with Israel. Colombia's has a vote on the U.N. Security Council, which is considering the Palestinian bid for statehood. Santos hasn't said whether Colombia will abstain or vote "no." The U.S. has threatened to veto the statehood appeal. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said...

Two men have been charged in what law enforcement officials say was a bombing plot in the United States approved by senior members Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Force. The plot targeted the Saudi ambassador to the United States for assassination and may have included other targets including the Israeli embassy, ABC News reports. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called the plot's details chilling, saying the suspects didn't care that they...

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives for an unofficial visit to to seek support for his people's bid to be recognized a state by the United Nations. The trip to Colombia is one of a series of trips to U.N. members who are not in favor of granting the Palestinians a state through the U.N. Colombia, a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has so far refused to recognize a Palestinian state in line with its traditional allies the U.S. and Israel. When speaking before the...

(Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday he was praying for Libya's deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi and also sent a message of solidarity to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against "Yankee" aggression. Chavez -- who has inherited Fidel Castro's mantle as Washington's main irritant in Latin America -- views the wave of uprisings in the Arab world as Western-led destabilization and has been a strong ally of Gaddafi. "The Libyans are resisting the invasion and...