Chilean President Boric postponed a meeting with the Israeli envoy after the Israeli army killed the Palestinian boy on the same day.
A diplomatic spat grew after the president of Chile refused to accept the credentials of Israel’s new ambassador to Santiago over the murder in the occupied West Bank. a Palestinian teenager.
In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned Chile’s ambassador Jorge Carvajal for what it called a reprimand at a meeting, where the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, “Israel’s response will be clarified.”
The dispute began on Thursday when Chile’s foreign minister Antonia Urrejola informed newly appointed Israeli ambassador Gil Artzyeli that Chilean President Gabriel Boric was postponing a meeting to accept his proxies until October.
“It’s because today is a sensitive day for the death of a minor,” a Chilean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a text message, referring to the death of Odai Trad Salah. , a 17-year-old Palestinian boy that day. .
Salah was shot in the head by Israeli troops in the village of Kufr Dan near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, becoming the 149th Palestinian killed by Israel this year.
Israel attacked the behavior on Friday with the Foreign Ministry labeling it “unintelligible and unprecedented conduct” and adding in its statement: “This seriously damages relations between two countries.”
Half of Israel takes Chile’s unprecedented and confusing behavior with seriousness. This seriously damaged relations between the two countries.
The Chilean Ambassador to Israel was summoned on Sunday by the Director General of the MFA for a conversation of reprimand
– Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@IsraelMFA) September 16, 2022
On Thursday, Artzyeli, the new ambassador, sought to defuse tensions after what he said was an “extended” meeting where Chilean authorities repeatedly apologized.
“As an Israeli and a Jew, my people have seen worse things than in the past 4,000 years,” he told reporters in Santiago. “We will fix this incident for the benefit of Chile, the interest of Israel and our bilateral relationship.”
‘Welcome Location’
Boric’s move drew praise from the Palestinian Authority on Friday.
“We welcome the view taken by the President of Chile, which is in line with international law and resolutions, and we appreciate it to put pressure on the Israeli government to stop the crimes that are taking place every day. day for our people,” said Ahmad al-Deek, adviser to the Palestinian foreign minister.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces killed the teenager on Thursday in clashes, the latest in a string of deaths that has raised fears of an escalation.
The leftist Boric regularly speaks out against Israel and its military activities. In a television interview last year, Boric, who became Chile’s president in March, was asked if he would maintain his previously stated view that Israel is a “genocide and murderous” nation. ” or not.
“I maintain it,” he replied.
In 2019, the Jewish community in Chile sent Boric a jar of honey to celebrate the Jewish New Year. Boric replied on Twitter: “I appreciate this action but they can start by asking Israel to return illegally occupied Palestinian territory.”
