For the first time in history, an Argentinian judge is set to be tried for antisemitism due to discriminatory remarks made about Jews on social media. The proceedings follow complaints filed in March 2025 by the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA) and the Argentine Forum Against Antisemitism (FACA).
On Wednesday, the plenary of the National Council of the Judiciary unanimously voted to begin removal proceedings against Judge Alfredo Lopez of Federal Court No. 4 of Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires) for poor performance, citing antisemitic expressions on social media.
DAIA and FACA said Judge Lopez has repeatedly used the terms “Race of vipers” and “rats” to refer to the Jewish people. He has also accused Argentinian Jews of not being truly Argentine (on X/Twitter: “The one they’re persecuting is me, but I’m Argentine and you’re foreigners”).
These statements constitute antisemitic behavior, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which was adopted by Argentina in 2020.
The Accusations Commission of the Council analyzed posts made between 2024 and 2025 and concluded that, taken together, they could constitute grounds for misconduct. The commission found 17 posts that contained antisemitic content.
Council member Jimena De la Torre said that “freedom of expression does not protect hatred, discrimination, or the loss of decorum required by the position,” and considered that the statements evaluated affect the dignity of the judiciary and public trust in the justice system.
Judge Lopez submitted his resignation last week, anticipating the Council of the Judiciary's decision to initiate proceedings for his removal. However, the National Executive Branch has yet to accept his resignation, so the process to remove him remains in effect. Lopez is currently seeking to leave through an administrative procedure, which would allow him to retain his privileged pension. However, if he is removed, he will not be able to retain the pension.
“In a context of rising antisemitism worldwide, Argentina has the opportunity to send a clear message to the world: antisemitism has consequences,” the DAIA and FACXA said in a statement.
Mauro Berenstein, DAIA president, said: “There is no place for antisemitism in the justice system.”
“Judge López’s resignation in the face of his imminent removal confirms it: those who promote hatred cannot administer justice.”
Judge doubles down on antisemitism after vote
In response to Wednesday’s news, Lopez tweeted, “I am not worthy of being persecuted by the same people who persecuted Christ,” clearly alluding to the antisemitic trope that the Jews killed Jesus.
He then tweeted, “The ones who have hatred are the perpetrators of genocide.”
The Jerusalem Post found multiple occasions where Judge Lopez has tweeted the word ‘Jew’ or ‘crypto Jew’ as an insult.
He also frequently writes about Israel using the word ‘Jew’ or ‘Jewish instead.
On 1 November 2025, he tweeted, “Jewish soldiers shot dead a 14-year-old Palestinian boy, named Yamen Samid, in Silwad, northeast of Ramallah (West Bank), while he bled to death on the ground, Jews obstructing the passage of the ambulance. The Jewish army continues to kill Palestinian children.”
More recently, on March 9, he tweeted about the “Jewish US military offensive against Iran.”
This ignores the fact 25% of Israeli citizens are not Jewish (including Israeli Muslims, Druze, and Christians), many of whom serve in the army.