COLUMN | The Case of Israel in Chile: One Year After October 7, 2023

The attack on October 7 demonstrated that assuming a condition of pseudo-peace with enemies like those they have is not a long-term alternative.

I write this article as a friend of the Jewish people and to explain the logic behind their right to defend themselves, but above all, to survive. This is not an article against the Palestinian people, who are exploited by movements such as Hamas, the Iranians, and other extremists.

Shortly after the horrific attack on October 7, I wrote an article in Chile explaining how the Jewish people defend themselves against their enemies, a necessary article because Israel’s strategic posture was only basically known to specialists in the field. Much of what was indicated in that article and subsequent ones has not changed, and a year later it is appropriate to recall it, as well as the situation at the end of September 2024.

Israel’s position on the map, its lack of strategic depth, and the fact that it remains located in a complex neighborhood surrounded by people who would rather see them dead than alive has not changed. They may have reduced much of Hamas’s military capabilities, and they are now doing the same regarding Hezbollah, and it is most likely that they will proceed with the Houthis and other militias controlled by Iran, and who knows, with the Persians themselves.

The attack on October 7 demonstrated that assuming a condition of pseudo-peace with enemies like those they have is not a long-term alternative. It is one thing to have good agreements with Egypt and Jordan, but with irrational movements, there is no alternative but to eliminate them or significantly reduce them to the point of insignificance in military terms and in terms of risks to Israel’s existence.

The good news is that militarily, Israel is back, including its capabilities in intelligence and special operations, as demonstrated by the operation involving beepers and portable radios, as well as the way they have defended themselves against subsequent attacks from Iran and its proxies, and in the precision with which they are eliminating the leadership of Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

It could also be said that the return of capabilities includes clarity in military and political leadership, and that despite the cost that war introduces into the leadership of any nation and the unfortunate situation of the hostages, there is still support for the reset process they are undertaking against anything perceived as a threat to the continuity of Israel.

Locally, and unlike what happens in Argentina, we have seen a government that is clearly anti-Israel and to a certain extent, anti-Jewish, which is not new given its already known position on the issue; what is new is the intensity with which this manifests. The condemnation of the attacks on October 7 was only moderate, unlike what has followed, which borders on rudeness and an almost crude attitude.

The list is endless and ranges from calling the ambassador in for consultations, to supporting anti-Israel initiatives at the ICJ, uninviting Israeli companies to FIDAE 2024, discouraging the hiring of Israeli companies as suppliers for the Chilean armed forces, publicly humiliating the Israeli ambassador, and publicly supporting anything that appears pro-Palestinian, disregarding that Israel is not at war with the Palestinian people, but with Hamas and Hezbollah, who use Palestinians as human shields and hostages for their anti-Israel initiatives.

What the Chilean government is doing is hard to understand; it makes no sense. It stands out as one of those things that the Frente Amplio does that falls into the irrational, and even for Jews who are openly leftist, it is difficult to comprehend.

But not everything is bad; the local Jewish community, led by Ariela Agosín, has managed to defend itself, to be clear about who stands by them, and who their friends are. On the other hand, the leadership and courage of the Israeli ambassador have been remarkable. I wish Chile had ambassadors of the caliber of Gil Artzyeli, who has fearlessly confronted the government when necessary, explaining how Israel defends itself and its right to defend against attacks like that of October 7, 2023.

Obviously, in Argentina, the situation is different; Milei is close to Israel and the Argentine Jewish community. He supports them locally and internationally, and does not hesitate to confront anyone when defending his friends and when the truth is distorted.

That said, what makes the communities in both countries nervous is the presence of operational elements of Hezbollah or individuals who support that movement or sympathize with Iran. The issue seems to be identified in Argentina, but not in Chile, which lacks the police or national intelligence capabilities to know about it, or to realize if they are active in Chilean territory.

The issue would not be so important if Iran did not have the significant influence it has in Bolivia. In any case, and this is my opinion, I do not see it as a danger for now, since apart from wanting to cause harm to local communities, there is nothing else they can affect that is strategic to the military efforts of Israel’s enemies. It is no longer the 90s when attacks occurred against Jewish organizations in Argentina, which, as a result, are well protected in both that country and Chile, have excellent security and intelligence teams, and actively monitor what happens in the region.

I am confident that both Israel and the Jewish people will emerge stronger from the war they are engaged in. They will resolve their problems, and perhaps live better, more securely, and peacefully, and since no evil lasts a hundred years, countries like Chile will again be good places for them to live, as is now the case in Milei’s Argentina. Jews, like Armenians, escaped complex realities and settled in Chile and beyond the Andes, in peaceful countries that welcomed us well, and we hope they continue to be so, and that governments like Boric’s will only be a passing nightmare.

In memory of those who died on October 7, 2024, and the hostages captured on that date.