Palestine

Palestinian Advocate Gets Press in Chile

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Palestinian Advocate Gets Press in Chile

Al Jazeera is posting some video about a notable Palestinian activist, Aya al-Hamidi, in Chile.


Posted on YouTube: August 15, 2024
(You’ll probably have to make full screen
in order to read the fine print)

And we have another posted about her, here.


Go to 1:21 to see Aya al-Hamidi
Posted on YouTube: December 9, 2023

Chile is rather amazing. It is a borderline first-world country with a high democratic index, higher even than the USA.

Yet, it differs from the Western world with its strong support for Palestinians causes, which has brought Chile to the attention of many pro-Jewish, pro-Israel advocacy groups which have critized Chile for its positions, and what they perceive as antisemitism.


Posted on YouTube: July 9, 2020
by the World Jewish Congress

Chile is home to the largest demographic of Palestinians outside of the Arab word.

At roughtly 500,000 people, the Palestinians in Chile are roughly 2½ percent of the population – similar to the Jewish demographic in the USA. And also like American Jews, these Palestinians (Chilestinos) are educated, prosperous, and punch well above their weight in the economy and politics.

Source: Police in Chile guard Jews after anti-Semitic attacks
By Gil Stern, Stern Shefler
August 18, 2010
Jerusalem Post

“The Palestinian community is to Chile what the Jewish community is to the US,” [The president of Chile’s Jewish community, Gabriel] Zaliasnik explained.

Oddly, about 99% of the Palestinian-Chileans – called Chilestinos – are Christian, and seem to have forgotten how often the Muslims in the Mideast used to persecute their ancestors. Ironically, they tend to identify strongly with the Palestinian cause, even with its Muslim aspects.

Hence, a Palestinian activist, like Aly al Hamdi, can get airtime on the University of Chile’s Radio station.

Source: Radio Universidad de Chile
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Translated by Google

… Under the slogan “Our eyes in Rafah”, activist Aya Al Hamidi, the Coordinator for Palestine, Action for Palestine and Chile for Palestine, called for the mobilization this Friday afternoon through social networks and demanded that Chile break relations with Israel.

The mobilization, which began at 6:30 p.m. on the corner of Providencia and Tobalaba, was attended by a hundred people with Palestinian flags and posters calling for an end to the massacre in the Gaza Strip.

In a conversation with Radio Universidad de Chile, Aya Al Hamidi, commented that the “whole world is rising up for Palestine, for Gaza and even more so when Hamas accepted the peace agreement, accepted all the terms and everything to stop the massacre.”

“Instead of stopping, Israel attacked and invaded Rafah. Nearly 100 people have died in less than four days. So, demonstrating against a genocide is essential to be able to achieve something,” Al Hamidi said.

(Click Here) to read more.

It is not that Jews have no influence in Chile. They do. Rather, they are outnumbered by the highly successful Palestinian-Chilean community (Chilestinos) by roughly 30 to 1.


Posted on YouTube: September 1, 2021
by the World Jewish Congress

Chile’s government has a somewhate tortured relationship with Israel. Right now, it has recalled its ambassador due to the war in Gaza.

Source: Israeli Diplomacy Doing Well Despite War
~ Ynetnews / Bridges for Peace
by: Itamar Eichner
August 7, 2024

Chile: Chile’s leftist president Gabriel Boric recalled his country’s ambassador to Israel. Conversely, Israeli Ambassador Gil Artzieli remained in Chile and continues to work as usual.

Though quite democratic, and less corrupt that Argentina, Chile has does not have the strong Jewish influence that Argentina had during its history. Its government – though NOT antisemitic – is not hospitable to Israel.

Even conservative politicians – whom one would think would be pro-Israel – still have to pay homage to the Palestinian community in Chile, or their political careers will be destroyed.

And the Chilestinos?! They have group amnesia, forgetting that one of the reasons their Christian ancestors fled to Chile was to escape the Muslim world. Their support for, what is now an Islamic cause is, truly unbelievable.

September 8, 2024 – edited a spelling. Added a video.

The Present Crisis

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The Present Crisis

When I started this blog, about twelve years ago, it was more of a curiosity to me. I just wanted to explore the subcultural impact of Arabs in Latin America. I wanted to show the world the food, the music, and the dance that Arabs had brought to Latin culture.

AND IT WAS IMPRESSIVE!

However, there were times that events intruded into the exploration of the subculture. The continuing wars in Gaza always left a mark. But the present Gaza War is of an altogether different character.

Unlike much of the world, and much of the internet, my own sympathies tend to lie with Israel, but I am an American.

Latin America has tens of millions of citizens of Arab ancestry, and while almost all of those Arab-Latins are Christians, some have a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel view. Chile, for example, has a massive Palestinian population which is very politically powerful, very hostile to Israel, and very influential. Oddly, these Chilean Palestinians are 99% Christian, yet sympathetic to the Islamic cause of Palestine in the Mideast.

To be sure, I am NOT putting down Latin-Arabs, most of whom are nice, but the media focuses on the loud protestors. And the Christians in Latin America forget that their ancestors often left the Mideast due to Muslim persecutions against Christians.

Thankfully, as a rule, Latins of Lebanese Maronite Christian ancestry do remember the predations of Islam; and they tend to avoid an anti-Israel sentiment. They can be a moderating force among other Latin-Arabs.

One has to remember that the pro-Palestinian elements may be loud and organized, but in Latin America there is a growing base of Evangelical Christians who are very pro-Israel. These will not make the headlines … but they vote and politicians have to take that bloc into account.


Posted on YouTube: November 13, 2023
Israel Receives Massive Support from Christians
(Can be auto-translated)

And what you have to also remember is that the general media often lies to you.

I am not saying Israel is perfect. WHAT NATION IS?!

But Hamas is a dark, vicious, terror group.

For example: This is floating on Twitter (X):

Some students in Argentina are pro-Palestinian. So what?!

The tweet does not tell the whole story concerning Argentina.

The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, is very pro-Israel, but the tweet does not mention that. Neither does the tweet mention that a large part of Argentina’s elite is Jewish.

Unlike the rest of Latin America, Argentina had a massive wave of Jewish immigration. It has greatly affected their culture.

So a few pro-Palestinian students in Buenos Aires are insignificant.

Likewise, Brazil’s Presicent Lula may be against Israel, but he knows his position is weak. He got elected by a questionable vote. His opponent was Jair Bolsonaro, a strong pro-Israel supporter. Massive sections of Brazil are Christian-Zionist.

Just remember that, even in Latin America, Israel has its supporters.

So media reports from South America may be out of sync with the underlying public opinion. While you may see supporters for Gaza in South America on the media, remember that these reports may be biased.

Chile’s President Wants to Open an Embassy in Palestine

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Chile’s President Wants to Open an Embassy in Palestine

This will cause some issues:

Soruce: Times of Israel – Dec 22, 2022

SANTIAGO, Chile — President Gabriel Boric of Chile, whose country has the largest Palestinian population outside of the Middle East, said Wednesday that he planned to open an embassy “in Palestine.”

The announcement by the leftist president, who began his four-year term in March 2022, came at a Christmas ceremony for Chile’s Palestinian community, estimated to be more than 300,000 strong.

“One of the decisions we have taken as a government, I think we have not yet made it public… is that we will raise the level of our official representation in Palestine,” Boric said. “We will open an embassy under our government.”

Chile has a large, prosperous, and powerful Palestinian community, so this wsa probably inevitable, but it will be controversial.

Brazil’s Election Changes Everything

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brazil-changes-everything-1000x600

brazil-changes-everything-1000x600
Brazil is not a typical Latin American country, and so it had a very controversial presidential election in 2022.

Brazil is roughly one-third Evangelical Christian (Baptist, Pentecostal, etc.) — and most of those Evangelicals support Israel. In their recent election, these Evangelical voters tended to support the right-wing conservative Jair Bolsonaro who has been very friendly to Israel.

Bolsonaro had also gone so far as to be baptized an Evangelical, himself.

Source: Brazil’s evangelicals say far-right presidential candidate is answer to their prayers
Reuters
by Anthony Boadle
September 27, 2018

On a visit to Israel two years ago, far-right Brazilian lawmaker Jair Bolsonaro leaned back into the River Jordan in a white robe to be baptized in the arms of a fellow congressman and evangelical pastor.

Jair Bolsonaro was controversial and attracted not only Christian support, but also support from right-wing loonies. Though he supported Israel, some of his supporters were Neo-Nazi types, which was a horrifying contradiction.

No wonder Bolsonaro was considered the Donald Trump of Latin America.

Further complicating the matter is that Brazil has roughly 15 million citizens of Arab descent vs. only about 110,000 Jews. The Arabs outnumber the Jewish vote about 150 to 1.

However, thankfully, most of those Arab-Brazilians are Christian, and the Lebanese Maronites among them would probably not be pro-Palestinian. The Maronites of Lebanon were historically hostile to the Palestinians.

Bolsonaro’s opponent for the presidency was Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (called by his middle name: Lula). Lula was leftist and friendly to Palestine during his previous administrations.

The election came down to a controversial runoff, and Jewish voters in Brazil were conflicted.

Source: Many Brazilian Jews feel the election is a choice ‘between the cross and the sword’
by Marcus M. Gilban
Times of Israel
30 October 2022

… [M]any Jews have taken note of how Bolsonaro has been historically close with Israel for a Brazilian leader.

He boosted his relations with the Brazilian Jewish community in April 2017, when the then-congressman was invited to speak at Rio’s Hebraica club, a hub of sport and cultural activities founded in 1957 by European Jewish immigrants.


Posted on YouTube: April 3, 2017

Source: Description under video (above)
translated by Google

THANKS TO THE HEBRAICA OF RIO DE JANEIRO When asked what he would do if he had the power of the presidential pen, Jair Bolsonaro recalls that he is not a candidate for anything and gives this answer. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Board of Directors of Hebraica Carioca for granting space for democracy and allowing a lecture by someone who unconditionally supports Israel and respects the Jews. Winston Churchill once said “the fascists of the future will call themselves anti-fascists”. Shalom! 🇧🇷

Contrariwise, during his previous time in office, Lula had been semi-hostile to Israeli concerns.

Source: Many Brazilian Jews feel the election is a choice ‘between the cross and the sword’
by Marcus M. Gilban
Times of Israel
30 October 2022

In 2009, da Silva warmly welcomed former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a notorious Holocaust denier whose regime persecuted minorities and critics, for a visit that drew international criticism.

During his first official visit to Israel in 2010, da Silva refused to visit Theodor Herzl’s grave, which was part of the itinerary for visiting foreign officials in honor of the 150th birthday of the father of Zionism.

Days after, he laid a wreath at Yasser Arafat’s grave in Ramallah.

In the final month of his administration, his government officially recognized Palestine as a state.

As can be imagined, Pro-Palestinians activists were rooting for Lula.

Source: Brazil elections: Why the stakes are huge for Palestinians
Middle East Eye
By Eduardo Campos Lima
27 October 2022

A second term for right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro could further erode support for the Palestinians in South America, experts say
…
Nowhere is this more visible than when it comes to Israel and Palestine. And with Brazil being home to roughly half of Latin America’s population, its leanings on the issue may influence the rest of the continent.

The Israeli/Palestinian crisis was certainly a factor in the Brazilian election of 2022.

Well, Lula won the election by a questionable razor thin margin, and there was a lot of turmoil over the result in Brazil.


Posted on YouTube: November 16, 2022

For some time, Bolsonaro supporters hit the streets in protest, and the Right said the election was stolen — and it looked like the Right had a case. But Bolsonaro agreed to a turnover, not wanting a coup nor violence.

Lula is expected to be sworn in on January 1, 2023

How this will eventually affect the Mideast remains to be seen.

Personally, I think Bolsonaro was the better man.

November 30, 2024 – Edited – Corrected citations in blockquotes.

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