Chile

Chile is the country on the Southwest Pacific coast of South America, which runs from a polar south to tropical north. 5% of Chile’s population is Arab, and the majority of that is Palestinian-Christian: Chilestino/Chilestinian.

Chile is a first world country now, very democratic. The Chilestinos are prosperous and wield incredible political power.

Kiddies Root for Palestinian Sports Club

Latin Arabia CD Palestino, Palestinians, Sports , , 0 Comment
Kiddies Root for Palestinian Sports Club


Posted on YouTube: September 14, 2017

Here in America, kids adopt the colors of the New York Yankees, or the Dallas Cowboys, their sports heroes.

In Chile, they adopt the colors of Club Deportive Palestino (Palestinian Sports Club) or as the Chileans abbreviate it, CD Palestino. Notice the black, green, white, and red jerseys (the Euros say kit) of CD Palestino, it is the same colors found on the Palestinian flag.

The kids are rooting:

TINO, TINO, PALESTINO!

CD Palestino was originally formed in 1920 in Osorno, Chile. By the 1950s, it had become a professional soccer team. Originally, it took its players from members of the Palestinian-Chilean community; though in time, it opened up its ranks to others.

Its home turf, now, is a municipal stadium in Metro Santiago [Chile’s capital] called La Cisterna, which seats about 12,000. That may not sound like a lot to American ears, but Chile has roughly 1/20th the population of the United States, so proportionally the team is equivalent to an American sports franchise.

This is not some minor squad. In 2015, CD Palestino made it to the playoffs of South America’s Copa Liberatadores (Liberators’ Cup), a major transnational soccer tournament in Latin America.

Over the decades a whole subculture has evolved around this team.


Posted by Latin Arabia on YouTube: August 4, 2012

Because the Palestinian-Chilean community is hostile to Israel, the team has become embroiled in Mideast politics, which is kind of odd if you think about it, being 8,000 miles away from the Mideast.

The Chilean team has a strong following among the local Palestinians in the Mideast territories. Moreover, members of CD Palestino have visited the territories, with some playing on Palestinian teams as well.


(An archive) posted by AP on YouTube: December 23, 2016

Right now, the team is trying to bring soil from Palestine in order cover their field – as a symbol that Palestine is in their hearts. I kid you not. (See video below)


Posted on YouTube: October 26, 2017

There was an Arab version of the above video, but it was taken down, after I linked to it.

So instead, I will link to this Arab video which is about CD Palestino. The Palestinians love this team. I do not speak Arabic, but the video gives some history. It mentions that the team was founded in 1920. It mentions the jersey controversy where the team replaced the number 1 with a map of Palestine, erasing all of Israel. Clearly, this team is politicized; and in doing so, has won the affections of the Arab world, while earning the displeasure of the Jewish community.


Posted on YouTube: January 21, 2014

As anyone can see, CD Palestino is a politically charged team.

The Palestinians of Chile are roughly 99% Christian, and very prosperous; but they are highly radicalized against Israel. They have used their power to influence the rest of Chile. Hence, you see non-Arab children above shouting, “Tino, Tino, Palestino!”

Right now, as part of their campaign to bring the soil of Palestine to their playing field (the Euros call it pitch), they have this webpage up.

Screenshot: In English – Our Field, Our Land – Or you can go to the English version of the page (Click Here)

“Our Field. Our Land.”

Apparently, the Palestinians in Chile do not recognize Israel at all. As noted here on Latin Arabia (Click Here), the team once wore a jersey (kit) that erased Israel, and claimed all of Palestine on a map on the back of their jersey. They were fined, and told to stop wearing the Jersey.

But they still sell the offending jersey. (Click Here). The map on the back claims all of Palestine. Nothing is left for Israel.

The question should arise: Why would a 99% Christian community field a team which has a mosque prominently displayed on their sports site?

What is clear is that in the past few years, the fame of CD Palestino has spread across the planet, so much so that they now have an English language version of their website. Among those who hate Israel, wearing a CD Palestino jersey (kit) has become a bit of a political statement.

As CD Palestino boasts they have become: (Más Que Un Club) More than a club!.

That is a real understatement.

The Palestinian-Chilean Community is highly radicalized against Israel, and their soccer team is a lightning rod for this. This is almost unknown in the USA; but, whether you disagree or agree with their anti-Zionism, this is a very politically important soccer team.

September 1, 2020 – Had to replace a dead video, clean up links, and made some edits.

Even More on the Radicalization of Chile’s Soccer

Latin Arabia CD Palestino, Politics, Sports , , 0 Comment
Even More on the Radicalization of Chile’s Soccer


Posted on YouTube on Mar 2, 2015

The name of the documentary (this is a teaser) is Cuatro Colores (Four Colors) based on the four colors of the Palestinian flag [red, green, black, white], and the four colors of the soccer team, Palestino, in Chile.

NOTE: The translation in the film says: Club Deportivo Palestino. “Deportivo” just means Sports. It should have been translated: Sports Club Palestino, or more accurately, Palestinian Sports Club.

The Palestinian community in Chile is:

1) Very Prosperous
2) Very Powerful
3) Politically connected
4) Radicalized against Israel

In the 1920s, Palestinian-Chileans founded their own soccer team. By the 1950s, it was a professional team in Chile. The Palestinian-Chilean community has used their successful professional soccer team for political ends.

In 2014, the Palestino Soccer team caused a major controversy when they issued a sports jersey – the Euros say kit – which had a map on the back of their jerseys that erased the state of Israel. Needless to say, worldwide, the Jewish people were furious. (Click Here)

The team was forced to withdraw the jersey.

But this is the nature of the Palestinian community in Chile; and the nature of the soccer/football team they support.

The fans call themselves “Baisanos,” based on the Spanish word for fellow countrymen: “Paisano.” The Palestinian immigrants to Chile would recognize other Palestinian immigrants, and call them, “Paisano,” a fellow countryman – from Palestine, as it were.

Except that Arabs cannot pronounce the letter P, and so “Paisano,” became “Baisano.”

Their descendants and fans of the Palestino soccer team picked up the mispronunciation as a term of endearment, and call themselves, “Baisanos.”

This would be curious enough, but they also recently picked up another term: Intifada, as this fan picture demonstrates.


Los Baisanos – Chilean Soccer’s Intifada
I have no idea if the upside down star (between Los and Baisanos) has any hidden meaning
It can mean evil – but I am not sure if that was their intent

So, the soccer team has become a symbol of radicalized anti-Zionism, not only in Chile, but around the world.

Though chiefly unknown here in the USA – we Americans do not follow soccer – the Palestino soccer/football team has become somewhat of a worldwide phenomenon. It is followed by the Palestinians in the contested areas in the Mideast as if it were a local team. Members of the Chilean team often visit the contested areas regularly.

Over time, the CD [Club Deportivo/Sports Club] Palestino jersey has become somewhat of a fashion statement for those of an anti-Israel mindset.

The funny thing is: In Chile, the Palestinians are relatively rich, compared to other Chileans. This radicalization has occurred among the elite of Chilean society, and that is what makes it an interesting phenomenom. Another odd thing is that 99% of Palestinian-Chileans are Christian, not Muslim, making this even more fascinating to observe, especially since the Palestinians in the Mideast have often embraced Islamic tendencies.

This team is starting to make waves. Its politicization is starting to make the news. The team, and the Palestinian community in Chile, are having disproportional effects on the opinions of many South Americans.

This is not a good development.

Club Palestino – Recent Video

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Club Palestino – Recent Video


Want to Join Club Palestino?!
Posted on YouTube: February 23, 2017

Club Palestino is in the heart of the Santiago, Chile, Metro area, only 13 km from the Moneda Palace.

Take a look at that video. Smack in the middle of Chile’s capital Metro Area. [Actually, an adjacent suburb, Las Condes]

Las Condes is home to Chile’s wealthy and elite. The locals call the shopping district in Las Condes: “Sanhattan,” to compare it to Manhattan. Yet, the Palestinians have their own Central Park in the middle of Las Condes.

The Palestinians in Chile have wealth and power.

Source: Police in Chile guard Jews after anti-Semitic attacks – JPOST

The Palestinian community is to Chile what the Jewish community is to the U.S.

– Gabriel Zalisnek, then president of Chile’s Jewish Federation

The Palestinians once invited PA President Abbas to the their club. Look at this display of wealth.

The video was from 2009, but this community is rich. They have massive political power in Chile.

I have often suggested that Israel should pay Palestinians to move to Chile. People think I am cruel in this; but frankly it would be a step up.

Radicalization of Chile’s Arabs Again

Latin Arabia Comunidad Palestina de Chile, Palestinians, UGEP 0 Comment

NOTE: This post was originally made on June 7, 2013. I have updated the information, and reset the date, because this is critical information that needs to be re-examined.

I have reported before on the radicalization of Chile’s Palestinian Population.

Their statistics:

1) The Palestinians in Chile number roughly 500,000.
2) They constitute the largest number of Palestinians outside the Mideast.
3) More Palestinian Christians are in Chile than in the Mideast.
4) The Palestinians in Chile are roughly 99% CHRISTIAN.
5) Many have ancestors who arrived in South America before 1930, before Israel; so they can’t blame all of their predicament on Israel.
6) They are often very rich, elite in Chile; so they can’t complain that their lives are worse off.

You would think such a group of Christians would not espouse the Islamicized cause of Palestinian nationalism; but you would be wrong. In 1947, though the government of Chile was initially predisposed to vote for the partition of Palestine in the UN vote, creating a Jewish state; but the Palestinians in Chile were so powerful, even at that early date, that they forced the government of Chile to abstain. One Chilean government official resigned in protest.

Today, the Palestinians in Chile are very radicalized against Israel.

ugep_website_home_page
2013 UGEP webpage – No longer online

Take a look at the 2013 home page for the website for the Union General de Estudiantes Palestinos (UGEP) [General Union of Palestinian Students]. It is no longer online, but the UGEP has not disappeared in Chile. The UGEP still runs a prominent Facebook Page; and they work with other anti-Israel groups in Chile.

But, notice the prominent placement given the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim Shrine, on their homepage banner for the 2013 Website.

Yet, almost all these Chilean students are Christians. Their ancestors came from Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, and Beit Jala … all of which were heavily Christian when their ancestors left.

Why didn’t a picture of a church figure prominently in their banner image? I know the Dome of the Rock is an impressive site which defines the image of Jerusalem; but these Palestinian-Chileans are primarily Christian.

When you study the activities of Christian-Palestinian-Chileans, they will often be using Islamic imagery. It is scary.


Yo Soy Palestino (I am Palestinian) – April 10, 2016 – by Federación Palestina de Chile.
The music in the background is the Palestinian national anthem: Biladi

The most prominent of the Palestinian-Chilean groups is the Federación Palestina de Chile (Palestine Federation of Chile). They run charities, education programs – see video to the side, where the educate the children – and they have massive political clout.

The radicalization of Chile’s Palestinians is a growing phenomenom in the West. Yet, the United States and Israel, while complaining, are doing very little to counter this. A big mistake.

Chile’s Palestinians are the vanguard of anti-Israel propaganda in South America. Because Chile’s Palestinians are so rich, they have clout in a country which is South America’s rising economic star. They have the power to change a lot of public opinion in the Latin world.

Latin America is now becoming an economic powerhouse. It can no longer be ignored. Something has to be done to counter the strident anti-Israeli bias of Palestinian-Chileans. Now is the time to deal with this.

But to get a sense of this, please take a look at these prominent Chilean politicians visiting Palestine in 2016. There is nothing like this in the United States.


Posted on YouTube: Jul 29, 2016 – I was only able to translate the titles at the beginning and from (4:41) towards the end. Still, you can see they are getting the Palestinian line.

This phenomenom seems to be growing. Websites groups may come and go, but the the Federación Palestina de Chile seems to be the central organizing agency, now. It has massive political clout, and merits watching.

Federación Palestina de Chile – YouTube – Lots of videos, often with prominent people.

Federación Palestina de Chile – Website – Their blog/newssite.

June 7, 2013 – Date of original post, before update.
November 23, 2017 – Edited, updated, and corrected an error.
November 23, 2017 – Removed Beit Jala video (Click Here), and installed a video by Federación Palestina de Chile. (2016)
September 1, 2020 – Edited, updated, and modified for new layout.

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