"Ninguém Tem Coragem De Falar De Israel E Dos Judeus Na Minha Frente"

Floriano Pesaro is a State Congressman in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was interviewed by the Brazilian branch of Honest Reporting, called Eye on the Media. He explains why he made two decisions: to go into politics at a time of mistrust of politicians and to fight for Judaism and against anti-semitism, whether coming from small groups, media, or government, an enormous task, as hatred against Jews increases a lot in the world and also in Brazil.

His aide, Mendy Tal, says that every time he (the aide) is in the plenary and another Congressman, Jamil Murad, strongly anti-Israel, or anyone else, starts to make an anti-Israel speech, he beeps Floriano if he is not there, and he runs and confronts Jamil and any others, who know his answers will be strong. Floriano implemented a requirement making Holocaust studies compulsory in Sao Paulo's school curriculum, and a project designed to implement a Municipal Day in Memory of the Holocaust Victims. He is involved in many other projects and committees against discrimination, child work, pedophilia, etc.

Highlights of his interview with this publication.

Q. How did you get close to the Jewish community?

A. My paternal grandmother is Jewish. And because Judaism also has a secular tradition, more than other religions from the point of view of festivities, the biblical passages, much more than saying what one can or not do, attracted me. As well as meals in my grandmother's. In other words, the Jewish side of the family won over my mother's side, not Jewish. And my mother married two Jews, my father and another one, Boris Kogan, so I used to say she is more Jewish than many Jewish mothers (laughs). I am a member of Hebraica (a major Jewish club), I spent my whole life there. I am at home there.

Q. There are more than 100K Jews in Brazil as well as many sympathizers, but not all are willing to fight for the cause. Why you?

A. Interesting question. Naturally. Everywhere I went socially, I chose to help Jewish organizations. Beit Chabad, Ten Yad, Unibes, etc. (org. that help vedry poor people, including non Jews). I got involved intelectually and, during Carnaval 2008 the rabbis of Beit Chabad (I knew they were not celebrating Carnaval - laughs) were meeting at the Hyatt Hotel, and one called me to participate. He asked me to say a few words to the audience, said I was "chosen" to work with the community. But I was already involved, and it didn't depend on me. My envolvement evolved with the community.

Q. How did you feel? And in terms of your election?

A. For 30 years the community did not unite around a name. I felt an enormous responsibility, not because I had a problem defending our ideas and traditions, but because the responsibility was great. Because the Jewish, Japanese, Korean, Islamic communities here are knowledgerable, people who study and read. There is a demand for results. I get daily e-mails from Jews regarding my positions, postures, programs, projects, and these e-mails are long and elaborated. And I also fought resistance against my representation. It was sad to see that some Jews did not consider me a brother because I'm not 100% Jew. But it's the future that matters, and I don't want to go into details.

Q. In relation to anti-semitism, how do you deal with it? What have you done to fight one of humanity's oldest diseases?

A. First I recognize it exists. It's strong in some places in Brazil. There is a strong neonazi movement, principally at the border with Argentina and Paraguay. There are also enemies of Israel there. So the first step is not to pretend it doesn't exist. Sixty years ago we pretended nothing was happened, and see what happened. We have to engage the authorities, get the police to work on this subject, at federal and state levels. Involve political and eclesiastical authorities. We have to say "Fellows, this thing exists. We must face it, not flee from it. And I am the first to do it".

My plitical projects involve the incorporation of Jewish festivities in Sao Paulo, as well as other faiths'. Jewish traditions can not be absent of the city's calendar, as if the Jews were a different people. They are from the State of Sao Paulo and the city of Sao Paulo like everyone else, so people know what we think and do, and we can be respected. People have to understand what's behind Hanukah, Rosh Hashanah, Pessach, etc., because of the biblical meaning. This way we can respect each other a lot more.

Q. About the Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan. 27 and making it part of the school curriculum.

A. At home I had a personal experience. I read a picture magazine called Maus, it depicts Jews in a Polish guetto during WWII as rats, the Nazis as carts, the Poles as pigs, etc. My son also read it, and began to understand what had happened.

Q. But how to insert it in the school curriculum, so far from the students' reality?

A. Bnai Brith in Sao Paulo has done it for a while, on a voluntarey basis for students and professors asking to write essays on the Holocaust. There are other ways, a professor at Sao Paulo U, distribution of history books, etc. A whole semester studying the topic. And special libraries, videos, etc. Then speaking about anti-semitism and anti-Zionism in Congress.
We have Congressman Jamil Murad, close to the Palestinian community, and who always attacks Israel, calling it a terrorist state. I've been facing him alone, defending Israel, and I have challenged the sheik of a mosque to debate a Jewish community representative on TV. We brough here Kadima's MK Shlomo Mola, an Ethiopian Jew, who came to congress and spoke in Hebrew, with Portuguese translation. It was very good. We protest a proposed visit by Ahmadinejad. We have to continue doing this.

And there's a controversial topic, too. The Jewish community, maybe because of an old history of persecution, seems subservient to authority, to the president, to the governor, etc. That's not good enough. People take sides, either they are with us or not. We need to know who our friends are, Jews or not. We can't treat everyone as friends because we are afraid of making enemies. We've had enemies for 5770 years. We have to separate friends and enemies, and we can not treat anyone, even the authorities, with praise and fear. Fear of what? What have we done wrong? Nothing. We've contributed to the moral, spiritual, tecnological, and intellectual development of humanity.

Q. What was your reaction during the Gaza conflict when the federal govt. party in power (PT - Workers Party) said it supported Hamas and that Israel was behaving like the Nazis?

A. No surprises. None. Before Lula became president he had given unrestricted support to the Palestinian cause. I studies social sciences and met many PT supporters. They've always attacked Israel. Always. During those 5 years, when I answered them, they said "oh, here comes that Jew defending Israel". I've always lived this conflict. At university. The PT, and also the communist party of Brazil. So I wasn't surprised. Some Jewish leaders were. But we need to fight it.

Q. You are one. Do you have support? How do you defend the cause? Do they accuse you of bringing the conflict here?

A. Yes. A colleague once said I was importing a crisis that was not ours. I said: "Not ours? Not ours today. And tomorrow? And you can reverse the question. Who is bringing Ahmadinejad here? Why? Will Brazil make money? Sure, but not that much. But we can't hide under this fact. Under the excuse of rebuilding Germany other people's riches were confiscated". We can not compromise on this point. But sometimes I am asked on the street by people who voted for me but compalin I only talk about the Jewish community. But that's not true. I talk about everything, I represent Sao Paulo. I had 1/3 of votes from the Jewish community, 2/3 outside it. But I know my responsiblity with the Jewish community. So I don't need to be afraid. And I have the support of most rabbies. They give me enormous spiritual strength. When you have this, you don't have limits.

Q. How is your personal relationship with Israel?

A. I've been there twice. The first time in 86, I stayed at a kibbutz near the Golan. And now I saw a very different country called Israel. They've kept the name but changed the country. It's amazing the country's wealth. Here we are destoying the Amazon, there they are building one.

Q. What lesson can you bring here from there?

A. All I can say is that our country, Brazil, is blessed. In Israel I went to the Holy Land, Jerusalem, Massada, rode camels, spoke with bedouins, Old City, Mount of Olives, Yad Vashem. I said: "For 5000 years people have fought for this land, that is arid, full of stones, boulders, no water, no food, not big enough for everyone. And here, on the other side of the Atlantic, we have a land where you can successfully plant anything, plenty of water, forest, plenty of space to spare for everyone, but compare the development level of Israel with Brazil. So I really think there is the Promised Land, but here the land is blessed. It is not possible that we can not make this an inspired and great nation, the way they did in Israel.

Q. What are your future projects and ambition?

A. I've always wanted to be a public person. To contribute and do what's right. I've been doing it for 14 years. I have no private life, everyone knows where I am, where I am not. That's public life. I wasn't born to be rich, so I don't think I will be. I want to change society. If I can do something that makes tomorrow better, I will have fulfilled my mission.

"Ninguém Tem Coragem De Falar De Israel E Dos Judeus Na Minha Frente"

Floriano Pesaro, vereador paulista (PSDB), entrevistado com exclusividade pelo De Olho Na Mídia conta porque decidiu tomar duas ações para as quais hoje é preciso muita coragem: seguir carreira política no momento em que existe tanta desconfiança sobre nossos representantes, e entre outras causas, tomar para si a luta em defesa do judaísmo e contra o antissemitismo, seja ele de pequenos grupos, de mídia ou governamental, uma tarefa colossal e que a cada dia só cresce, conforme a proporção do ódio anti-judaico aumenta vertiginosamente no mundo e também no Brasil.
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