Argentina foreign minister quits membership in Jewish group

Argentina’s foreign minister is quitting his membership in a leading Jewish organization targeted by a deadly bombing in 1994.

Hector Timerman announced his decision Tuesday in a letter to the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association, criticizing its leaders for blocking a deal with Iran to jointly probe the attack.

Former Iranian officials have been on an Interpol capture list for years, but Argentine prosecutors have never been able to question them.

Timerman promoted the 2013 accord with Iran as a way to reach the truth behind the unsolved bombing.

AMIA and some other groups have criticized the deal, saying Tehran has failed to cooperate and turn over suspects in the bombing that killed 85 people.

In January, two member parties of AMIA had requested that Timerman be expelled from the Jewish organization. Plural Jai and AMIA Es De Todos sent AMIA President Leonardo Jmelnitzky formal requests to revoke the Jewish Timerman’s membership for his role in brokering a pact with Iran in 2013 to jointly investigate the deadly bombing.

AMIA’s elected members help implement Jewish initiatives throughout Argentina.

Timerman was named with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in prosecutor Alberto Nisman’s 300-page complaint claiming a cover-up of Iran’s role in the bombing. Nisman was found shot dead several days after filing the complaint.

JTA contributed to this report.