Iosi, the Remorseful Spy

A gripping true crime tale of espionage, Jewish history, and antisemitic mass terrorism in 1990s Buenos Aires.

An unresolved true story that echoes today, this book shows that even after the military regime ended in Argentina and there was a civilian government, military and national police remained racist and antisemitic.

José Pérez, a young intelligence agent of the Federal Police, receives orders from his bosses to infiltrate the Argentine Jewish community by posing as a Jew. The goal is to monitor the development of an alleged Jewish plan to take over Patagonia to create a second state of Israel, known as the ＂Andinia Plan.＂

Iosi, the Hebrew name he chooses, blends in by learning the language, culture, history, religion, and politics of the Jewish people: he becomes a well-respected community leader and obtains valuable information that he passes on to his handler, the enigmatic and seductive Laura, or Red as she is called. Iosi soon understands that there is nothing suspicious going on within the Argentine Jewish community. Prone to amorous adventures, he lets himself go and falls madly in love with a young Hebrew teacher, marries her in secret and plans to convert and emigrate with her to Israel.

When the two most catastrophic terrorist attacks in Argentinian history take place, one against the Israeli embassy in 1992 and the other against Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), a Jewish Community Centre in 1994, causing hundreds of deaths, Iosi grows fearful that the information he provided was used by his bosses to help organize the attacks. His bosses order him to abandon his mission and move away from Buenos Aires. But Iosi feels driven to get to the bottom of the story and he seeks out two Jewish journalists, Horacio and Miriam. Together, they strive for years to get Iosi’s story told. But after initial interest, every contact they make, from supposedly honest politicians to national and international Jewish organizations, ultimately turn their backs on them. Some people are killed, others lose their jobs or are removed from the case. There is no end. This is a true story and it continues unresolved to this day.

MIRIAM LEWIN is a radio and television journalist based in Buenos Aires who has worked in Argentine radio and television for over 20 years. She was nominated for best journalist seven times for the Martín Fierro Prize in the television and radio categories. Lewin was a political activist during Argentina’s civic-military dictatorship and was kidnapped and disappeared. After being released, she lived in New York and upon her return to her country, she was a witness in the Trial of the Juntas in 1985 and in numerous cases for crimes against humanity. In 2020 she was elected by Congress as defender of the audiences, a position she held until June 2024.

HORACIO LUTZKY is a lawyer and journalist and was co-director of news for the cable TV channel Alef Network (1995) and a professor at the University of Palermo in the courses of Advertising (Law and Professional Practice) and Journalism. He was editor in chief for the newspaper Nueva Sion (1991-1995 and 1999-2000) where Iosi’s ex-wife worked as his secretary for a time. He worked as a congressional consultant in the trial against the Supreme Court’s failure to investigate the attack on the Israeli Embassy during Carlos Menem’s presidency.He is a regular contributor to several media outlets in Argentina.

FRANCES RIDDLE is an American-born literary translator, specializing in the translation of contemporary Latin American literature into English. She has a BA in Spanish Language and Literature from Louisiana State University and an MA in Translation Studies from the University of Buenos Aires.