SANTIAGO: Chile’s Palestinian community, the largest outside the Middle East, is a strong force in the Andean nation, involved in local politics, culture and soccer. Now it’s making Chile one of the loudest regional voices criticising Israel over its military action in Gaza.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric, a moderate figure in the Latin American left, recalled the country’s ambassador in Tel Aviv last week and said Israel was not abiding by international law.
On a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Boric added that the Israeli military operation “at this stage acts as a collective punishment to the civilian population in Gaza.” He brought up the issue with President Joe Biden during a bilateral meeting last Thursday in Washington.
“There’s no doubt we can say the response has been disproportionate and is violating international humanitarian law,” Boric told reporters after the meeting at the White House.
The Palestinian community’s roots run deep in Chile, with immigration starting in the late 19th century when Christians fled the faltering Ottoman Empire. Chile is now estimated to have more than half a million Palestinians, many third, fourth or even fifth generation, a substantial minority in a country of under 20 million people.
The community has been galvanised, holding rallies outside the presidential palace, organising charity concerts, clamoring for a ceasefire and pushing for boycotts. Members of the community have met with the minister of foreign affairs to lobby the government to push for a ceasefire from Israel.
“The Palestinian community here is as diverse as any other. We live in every city and territory in Chile,” said Claudia Yarur, who says her great-grandparents carried passports from the Ottoman Empire when they immigrated to Chile.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2023
Source: dawn.com