Herman Schiller is a legendary Argentine Jewish journalist, human rights activist. Known as the “conscience” of the Argentine Jewish left, he was one of the few Jewish leaders who dared to publicly defy the military dictatorship (1976–1983).
In 1977, Schiller founded the renowned weekly Nueva Presencia, which became a vital platform for denouncing human rights abuses and searching for the “disappeared” during the height of the dictatorship. He was the founder of the Jewish Movement for Human Rights (MJDH) and maintained a profound, long-term solidarity with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. His career has been dedicated to challenging conservatism within the Jewish community, arguing that the essence of Jewishness is the unceasing pursuit of social justice. He has received numerous human rights awards and is regarded as a spiritual pillar of progressive Jewry in Latin America.
Schiller’s stance is centered on “absolute humanitarianism.” He is a fierce opponent of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and has frequently organized and participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations in Buenos Aires. He maintains that supporting Palestinian self-determination is essential to preventing the recurrence of historical tragedies. In a joint statement, he believed: “Like any totalitarian movement, Zionism not only violates the human rights of the Palestinian-Arab people but at the same time seeks to silence any voice that questions its responsibility for such events.” He remains one of the most powerful voices in Argentina against the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism.