Wiesenthal Center Denounces Transplantation of Middle East Conflict to Chile

July 14, 2020

Buenos Aires and Paris – The leadership of the Palestinian Federation of Chile claims to represent the most important Palestinian community outside the Arab world, numbering approximately 400,000 inhabitants. It has thus worked to import the conflict from the Middle East through Chile to Latin America. Their main campaign, however, is to harass the Jewish Community and to lobby for a policy to boycott the Jewish State, reminiscent of the Nazis during the 1930s

Their latest achievment in the past week was to pass a resolution in the Chilean National Congress, urging President Piñera to prohibit the entry of products from Israeli villages in 'disputed territory.' Companies working with Israel will be considered in violation of international humanitarian law, thereby unable to access bids in Chile or enjoy benefits under agreements signed between Chile and other countries.

The resolution prohibits all forms of cooperation – not only financial – with "the Israeli colonization of occupied Palestine,' ensuring that no such organization operating in Chile may benefit from trade or tax incentives..

These measures were publicly praised by the terrorist group Hamas.

"The Chilean Palestinian Federation latest move has nothing to do with the Trump peace plan or the 'annexation+two state solution' currently under debate. Nor is it limited to business in 'disputed territories', as proven in the mantra 'From the river to the sea Palestine will be free' "..."It is a takeover bid of the Chilean Congress in the guise of eliminating Israel from the map... In truth it is a hijacking of Chile by transplanting the Middle East conflict to South America. The backing of Hamas is modelled on the role of Hizbollah in Venezuela. In both cases, the Jewish Community is at risk," stated Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Wiesenthal Center.

Dr. Ariel Gelblung, the Center’s Director for Latin America concluded: “We urge the Chilean authorities to rethink these measures and to vigorously protect their Jewish community. Its anti-discrimination law is inadequate in confronting intimidation...Legislation required to punish incitement to violence is essential.... This may be the tool for the Chilean Congress to pushback a Middle East takeover, by focussing on domestic threats."

For further information, please contact Dr.Shimon Samuels at +336 09770158 or Dr. Ariel Gelblung at +54 9 11 49695365, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).