MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Israel's Ambassador to Chile says bilateral ties hit rock bottom

When there are differences, “the idea is to talk, and that is not what is happening,” Artzyeli said

Israel's ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzyeli, said that relations between the two governments have “reached rock bottom” due to a lack of dialogue over the past three and a half years, predating the events of October 7. The diplomat also mentioned a perceived hostility from Chile toward Israel, despite strong ties in various fields.

“There is a lot of activity in the private sector, academia, cybersecurity, water, and agriculture. We continue, but between governments, sometimes there is a low point, and that is the point we are at,” he elaborated.

Artzyeli criticized the Chilean Government of President Gabriel Boric Font for what he sees as an attempt to “demonize” Israel and for remarks calling his country's actions in Gaza criminal, which he said deeply hurt the local Jewish community. Artzyeli emphasized that dialogue was essential even amid legitimate criticism and defended Israel's military response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the terrorist organization Hamas.

Regarding Boric's decision to minimize diplomatic and economic ties with Israel due to its military actions in Gaza, the diplomat noted Chile's significant purchases of Israeli defense supplies and visits by Chilean defense officials to Israel.

”I do not have the barometer for each year, but it is not very positive, it is regrettable because even when two democracies - as is Chile and Israel - have differences, the way to deal with them is to talk more, not to talk less (...) including when there is criticism. I understand and accept if the Government of Chile has legitimate criticism, the idea is to talk, and that is not what is happening,“ Artzyeli said.

”Instead of a dialogue even between friends who have differences, and deep ones, you can have a dialogue, but here it is more of an attempt to demonize Israel, to turn your back on Israel and also on the Jewish community,“ he added.

After Boric wrote on X that ”the government of Israel reaffirms its criminal vocation and destruction of the Palestinian people, unilaterally violating the ceasefire and murdering children and women in Gaza. Jackals the jackal would reject... We reaffirm our support for the Palestinian people and their demand for self-determination,“ the diplomat said that a group of Chilean Jews who were with him at an event started to cry after their President spoke of Israel as the Jews as tantamount to jackals.

”If Israel and Chile's relationship were a stock, I would buy it. Because the future of this relationship is bright,” he concluded.