On January 18, El Nuevo Dia of Puerto Rico published an editorial apologizing for its anti-Semitic article and removing it from its website. Titled “Lessons Learned,” the editorial acknowledged the anti-Semitic nature of the column and concludes: “The problem of Puerto Rico has nothing to do with the Jews.” ADL appreciates the newspaper’s powerful acknowledgment and looks forward to working with it to counter all forms of hate.
Letters to the Editor
El Nuevo Dia
To the Editor:
The article titled, "What does the Jew want with the colony?" written by Wilda Rodriguez and published in your publication on Monday, January 8, 2018 is a collection of classic anti-Semitic assertions. The column falsely charges that the future of Puerto Rico is in the hands of the Jews who control power and wealth from the centers of power in Washington and Wall Street. She alleges that Congress will do what the Jews say, since it is the Jews who control Congress and that their itinerary is "loaded with wars and profits."
This is not the first time that confronted with an economic crisis Jews are accused of controlling the power and money. Wilma Rodriguez's column published in your diary follows the worst legacies of anti-Semitic regimes that we would like to have left behind in the 20th century.
Both the explanatory note of the leadership of this newspaper and the explanatory note of the author of the column leave much to be desired because publishing an article accusing the Jewish people of controlling governments to the detriment of the future of Puerto Rico is practically the definition of anti-Semitism.
Sincerely,
Monica Bauer
Coordinator, Latino Community Relations
Anti-Defamation League
En Espanol
Al Editor,
El artículo titulado ¿Qué quiere “el judío” con la colonia? escrito por Wilda Rodriguez y publicado en su publicación el lunes 8 de enero del 2018 es una colección de aserciones antisemitas clásicas. La columna afirma que el futuro de Puerto Rico está en manos de los judíos que controlan el poder y la riqueza desde las cúpulas de poder en Washington y en Wall Street. Afirma que el Congreso hará lo que el judío le indique, ya que son los judíos los que controlan el Congreso y que su itinerario esta “cargado de guerras y ganancias”.
No es la primera vez que ante una crisis económica se les acusa a los judíos de controlar el poder y el dinero. La columna de Wilma Rodriguez publicada en su diario sigue al pie de la letra las peores herencias de regímenes antisemitas que quisiéramos haber dejado atrás en el siglo XX.
Tanto la nota aclaratoria de la dirección de este diario como la nota aclaratoria de la autora de la columna dejan mucho que desear ya que publicar un artículo que acusa al pueblo judío de controlar gobiernos en detrimento del futuro de Puerto Rico es prácticamente la definición de antisemitismo.