As this website has explained many times, the Palestinian Community of Chile [Chilestinians1] has been an incredibly powerful block in Chile, working for anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian legislation.
Though 99% Christian, the Chilestinian1 community supports agendas that seem parallel with the Islamic movement of Hamas.
This astounds many observers: Why would a Christian community support the political agenda of Islamicists? But apparently, the Chilestinians are more anti-Israel than pro-Christian.
1The Palestinian-Chilean community has adopted the term “Chilestinian” – or “Chilestino” in Spanish – to indicate their indicate their identification with both Chile and Palestine as a fusion.
The Chilestinian community punches well above its weight in Chilean politics, and has a massive influence on Chile. They have hamstrung much of Chile’s policies – not all – regarding Israel and Palestine.
Posted on YouTube: April 2, 2019
Note: The team, CD Palestino was founded in 1920. The reference to 1948 refers to what the Palestinians call the Naqbe.
Chile has been taking in Palestinians since the 19th century. The vast majority were Christians from Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, and Beit Safafa.
Many were fleeing the anti-Christian persecutions of the Ottoman Turks (before 1917), and later some fled the Muslim-Jewish fighting during the Mandate. A few came after the Six Day War in 1967.
However, there were a few Muslims among them: some either converted to Christianity or married Christian women who raised the kids to be Christian. Roughly 99% of the Palestinians in Chile, Chilestinians, are Christian.
These Palestinians have often become elites in Chile, and they wield political power above their numbers.
Chile has a major league soccer (futbol) team called CD (Sports Club) Palestino, which represents the Palestinian community to the world. It is followed not only in Chile, but in Palestine.
There are some who claim that Palestinian identity did not exist until 1967, however …
1920 – CD (Sports Club) Palestino was formed 1938 – Club Palestino (a social club) was opened. This is no minor local club, but is a major cultural force.
Posted on YouTube: February 23, 2017
At the time of this writing, Gaza is brimming over with about 1.8 million people. Gaza is under an Israel blockade, and the situation has become unliveable.
Israel has even offered to pay the flight fare for those Gazan Arabs willing to emigrate from Gaza, but Israel can find no willing countries to take them.
Israeli authorities are willing to allow Gaza Strip residents who want to emigrate to fly out via Israel if a country is found to accept them, a senior government official said on Monday. According to the official, Israel would even pay for the flight. The official added that the government had asked a few countries, including some in the Middle East, whether they would be willing to accept Palestinians from Gaza, and was turned down.
Well, Israel should know better.
It will take more than a free flight to get countries to accept the Arabs.
But if Israel is willing to give the Gazans some money – say $100,000 US per person – then Chile might be willing to take in some Gazans, or some Palestinians from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).
The general idea is good; but it will cost more than paying the fare of a few Palestinians willing to leave Gaza.
Chile could easily absorb 100,000 Palestinians – whether from Gaza, or Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), does not matter.
But it will cost more than a free airline ticket.
Now, Chile could not possibly take in all the Palestinians. But 100,000 would be doable, and it would be a good start. At $100,000 US per person, it would be $10 Billion. It would not be cheap.
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] Palestinojersey 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.
Edited: October 28, 2017 – Had to remove one video, and reset two others. Apparently, the videos were pulled. I was able to find the English and Spanish Language videos, but not the Arabic language video. I had to re-assign YouTube dates to the new video sources.
