The Palestinian government celebrated this Friday the announcement by the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, to open an embassy in the country, and stressed that the decision responds to “the advanced position of Chile and its new president in support of International Law and the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent State”.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry indicated in a brief statement posted on its website that “these statements confirm Chile’s recognition of the State of Palestine in 2011,” before adding that it “will work to facilitate any next step in this direction by from Chile, a friendly country”, reported Europa Press. Chile is among the almost 140 countries, including Argentina, that have recognized Palestine as a State.
The Chilean Foreign Minister, Antonia Urrejola, ruled out yesterday that there are “tensions” with Israel after Boric announced his plans to open an embassy in Palestine, adding that the decision “is part of the State policy” of Chile, which “consists of the recognition of both nations”.
“Chile’s foreign policy remains the same, the recognition of the State of Palestine and the recognition of the State of Israel, there is no change there,” he said, after relations with Israel were slightly affected in September when the president The Chilean government canceled a meeting at the last minute to hand over credentials to the Israeli ambassador-designate in Chile, Gli Artzyeli, who took up his duties shortly after anyway.
Boric announced this Wednesday that Chile is going to raise the character of the official representation in Palestine. “We are going to open an embassy during our government to give it the corresponding representation,” said the Chilean president at the celebration of the Palestinian community’s Christmas party.
In turn, the Chilean community of Israel sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday expressing its concern over the speech that the country’s president, Gabriel Boric, delivered when announcing the elevation of diplomatic rank in Palestine.
“As the Chilean Community of Israel, we see with concern that once again, the narrative of the messages regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, instead of encouraging peace and promoting a two-State solution, focuses on exacerbating the problem, referring to the ´Palestinian resistance´”, indicates the letter addressed to the Chilean Foreign Minister, Antonia Urrejola.