MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Piñera presented with “Star of Palestine” honour; avoids pre-1967 borders controversy

The Chilean president met Israeli PM Netanyahu and Abbas in Ramallah

Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera visited both sides of the hotly contested Israeli- Palestine border this weekend. He reasserted his support for an independent Palestinian state, but fell short of formally recognizing the pre-1967 borders.

Mahmoud Abbas, his Palestinian counterpart, however claimed Chile’s position was clear in its support for the boundaries.

In a joint press conference on Saturday Piñera said Chile’s acknowledgement of the Palestinian state showed its support for the peace process.

“Chile has always stood for and believed in justice, and that the Palestinian people have a state that is full, free and democratic and can live in peace,” said Piñera.

Chile’s president also signed deals to strengthen bilateral agreements with Palestine and a memorandum of understanding for commerce and economy.

“These agreements are broad and deep, and will serve to benefit Chilean and Palestinian people,” he said. “And in time, will bear fruit.”

This was the first bilateral meeting since Chile formally recognized the Palestinian state in January.

Unlike Brazil and Argentina, Chile stopped short of providing an explicate answer to the problem of the exact location of the borders of a country it claims to recognize.

“It is not for us to determine where the borders should be,” Foreign Affairs Minister Alfredo Moreno said back in January.

The Palestinian authorities had hoped that following the meeting this weekend between Piñera and Abbas, Chile’s position would be articulated.

There is speculation Piñera has sat on the fence over this issue because Chile’s own ongoing maritime border dispute with Peru, which has recently been transferred to The Hague.

More cynical observers suggest Piñera is trying to avoid damaging the relationship between Chile and the US, who have a strong pro-Israel lobby, and whose president, Barack Obama, is due to visit Chile later this month.

When asked if Chile’s reluctance to support the pre-1967 borders weakened its recognition of Palestine as an independent territory, Abbas responded by claiming Chile’s declaration was clear, “The recognition is based on international law, which means de facto recognition to pre-1967 borders,” he said.

While in Palestine, Piñera was presented with the ‘Star of Palestine’, the highest honour awarded by the Palestine National Authority.

He also attended the opening of ‘Calle Chile’ near the presidential palace in Ramallah, so named to commemorate Chile recognizing Palestine before travelling to Israel.

On Sunday Piñera met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him not “to miss the opportunity of peace with Palestine” and called for “agreements set in stone, not sand.”

He defended his January decision, saying, “Chile has recognized Palestine because we've always thought if Israel has the right to live in a country with permanent borders recognized by the international community in order to develop, the Palestinians are also entitled to the same thing.”

Netanyahu responded, “Peace can not be forced from outside, but achieved through direct negotiations face to face. We are ready and we hope that (the Palestinians) will in time, respond.”

While in the region Piñera laid wreaths at both the tomb’s of Yasser Arafat, the former Palestinian leader, and Theodor Herzl, father of Zionism. He also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

Piñera left for Jordan on Sunday night, and will spend Monday there before completing his tour in Spain and heading back to Chile.

By Mark Briggs – Santiago Times