Source: (CNN Spanish) — Through their accounts on X, formerly Twitter, the foreign ministries of Colombia, Argentina and Chile condemned the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital in northern Gaza.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry offered humanitarian aid to the population affected by the conflict through the Argentine Agency for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance, the White Helmets.
“Colombia joins the urgent call of the different United Nations Organizations (WHO, Unicef), since it considers necessary the protection of civilians in the midst of the conflict, as well as respect for international humanitarian law, which establishes that the attention of health must be actively protected and never be an objective,” the Colombian Foreign Ministry detailed in a statement.
A rocket has landed on Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Both sides are blaming the other.
What is clear is that, at the time of this story, the culprit for the attack has not been 100% verified yet.
October 23, 2023 — Edited. Updates seem to show that Israel was not guilty, but that the rocket was from Gaza, and disintegrated over the hospital.
Above: Chileans are taking a pro-Palestinian stand.
Now, as noted, the Chilestinos (Palestinian-Chileans, usually Christian) have massive influence in Chile, and take a pro-Palestinian view.
This can be ironic. Spanish culture is centered on the Reconquista, the stuggle to free Spain of the Islamic invaders. One would think such a people would have a sympathy for Israel, and many Chileans do, especially the Evangelicals in Chile.
However, the Chilestinos are elite in Chile and can either sway the Chilean government, or dampen the government’s criticism of Palestinian actions.
3) Click – for a second time – to turn on: Subtitles/CC(1) Spanish (auto-generated) .
4) Click auto-translate.
5) Choose English – THIS CAN BE TRICKY – I suggest using up and down arrows to chose English, and then press Enter.
This can be very touchy, and you may have to play with it, but it works. Once you get the hang of it, you can turn the option on in a few seconds.
Chile has a large Palestinian community — which will assert its own view — during this war. However, even the Chilean government, which is often anti-Israeli in its official positions, has rebuked the Hamas attack on civilians in Israel this October. It was a strong condemnation.
Nuestra solidaridad está y estará siempre con la víctimas de la violencia, sin distinción. Nos duele la humanidad.
Condenamos sin matiz alguno los brutales atentados, asesinatos y secuestros de Hamas. Nada puede justificarlos ni relativizar su más enérgico rechazo. Condenamos…
SAO PAULO: Living in countries whose presidents have expressed pro-Palestinian views, Palestinian communities in Chile, Brazil and Argentina have expressed disappointment with statements issued by these countries’ governments concerning the fighting between Hamas and Israel.
Most Latin American nations released statements condemning Saturday’s attack on Israel by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.
The exceptions were Venezuela, which demanded that Israel immediately halt the occupation of Palestinian territories, and Bolivia, which said it is following developments with concern and accused the UN of inaction.
In Colombia, the Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning violence against civilians and asking both parties to hold dialogue on a two-state solution.
…
Palestinian-born Nicola Hadwa, a prominent Middle East analyst, told Arab News that Palestinians in Chile feel “betrayed,” adding: “That kind of declaration comes from political leaders who are subordinated to the US and Israel.”
Hadwa, who also worked as a football manager and was the first professional coach of the Palestinian national team in 2002, said: “Every day, the Israelis kill two or three young Palestinians and nobody talks about it in the media. When Palestine reacts, suddenly everybody is concerned.”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s administration seems to be coming under pressure from both sides.
However, with a large demographic of Arabs in South America – even if most are Christian – there is some small degree of sympathy for the Palestinian side, particularly among the demographic of Palestinians in Latin America.
Thankfully, this time, the governments are acting rationally in spite of this pressure from pro-Palestinians.
Remember, the Arab demographic in Latin America may be large, but it is NOT monolithic.
Islam Channel fined £40,000 over ‘antisemitic’ conspiracy theory documentary
A UK-based TV channel for British muslims has been fined £40,000 after airing an “antisemitic” documentary that claimed Israel was trying to take over part of Argentina and Chile.
In February 2021, the Islam Channel broadcast an hour-long film titled The Andinia Plan, which alleged there are plans to create a new Jewish state in Patagonia – a sparsely populated region at the bottom of South America.
The conspiracy theory first appeared in a magazine published by a group of Argentinian neo-Nazis led by the sons of Holocaust architect Adolf Eichman.
Big deal. We had a post about this documentary (Click Here) over a year ago.
The whole claim is preposterous, but it is believed by some in South America.
(Click Here) to see the backgrounder on this documentary.
In the original The Jewish State by Theodore Herzl, the Patagonian area of Argentina was considered as a possible area for Jewish settlement. However, the Zionist Congress shot down that idea immediately.
