Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) vowed on Thursday that the United States remained committed to supporting Argentina in ensuring accountability for the bombings of the Associación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) and the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Cardin, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a delegation to Buenos Aires this week to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina, in which 29 people were killed, and the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing, the latter of which left 85 people dead. Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) joined Cardin on the delegation.

Maryland’s senior senator, who is retiring at the end of this term, told Jewish Insider in an interview that victims cannot have closure without justice being served, and that the U.S. “could do more” to ensure that outcome. 

“The red notices need to be complied with and they need to be extended. I think we can help in making that a reality because they expire shortly. We need to put pressure on other governments to enforce the red notice. We need to have timely interactions so that people who are accountable, who are responsible, can be actually apprehended and held for their crimes. So yes, I think the United States could do more,” Cardin said when asked what the SFRC could do to support Argentina. 

Red notices are arrest solicitations issued by the International Criminal Police Organization. While not official arrest warrants, red notices do place subjects at risk of arrest in many Western countries on behalf of Interpol. 

Cardin praised Argentina President Javier Milei and his government for his “strong leadership here in Argentina on behalf of the Argentine Jewish community.”

Milei, who is a right-wing populist, has made combating antisemitism a top domestic priority on the social policy front. 

“Thirty years and we still do not have justice, we still do not have accountability,” Cardin told JI. “I am pleased to see the attitude of the current government, the Milei government, that’s very clear that they are pursuing accountability and justice for the perpetrators. That’s important for closure to the families, but also to make sure never again really means never again.”

Secretary of State Tony Blinken said in a statement marking the anniversary that, “Since the October 7 attacks, we have seen a dramatic increase in violent incidents and hateful discourse against Jews and Jewish communal institutions and businesses in many countries, including in the United States, just as we have seen a dramatic increase in Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims.”

“We condemn all manifestations of antisemitism and other forms of hatred and urge all governments to unequivocally do so as well,” Blinken’s statement continued. 

Asked about the State Department including Islamophobia in a statement on terror attacks against the Jewish community, Cardin defended the decision. 

“I think it’s absolutely essential that we do mention all forms of hate, because we’re all in this together. One of the major recommendations coming out of the task force on antisemitism is that we need to form coalitions. And I mentioned to the congregants at the [AMIA] commemoration that the Jewish community has always been in the forefront of the civil rights fight,” he said. 

“We’ve helped in regards to civil rights for African Americans, we’ve been involved in LGBTQ rights, we’ve been involved against Islamophobia, we’ve been involved in gender issues,” he said. “So it is absolutely critically important that we recognize that when one group is unsafe, all of us are unsafe. I’ve been disappointed that our traditional allies did not condemn Hamas for their attack on October 7th. It’s an extension of what happened here 30 years ago, and we all need to be in this together and make sure there’s no room for hate and that we stand up for all marginal communities when they’re under attack.”