Palestinians in Chile push back over new president's pivot toward Israel

Palestinians in Chile push back over new president's pivot toward Israel Submitted by Ana Maria Monjardino on Mon, 06/08/2026 - 14:07 Chile’s Palestinian community, the largest outside the Arab world, pushes back against Jose Antonio Kast's moves to restore ties with Israel Demonstrators carry a banner against Israel's genocide in Gaza during the so-called “Las Ollas Vacias” (Empty Pots) march organised by the Palestinian community in Chile, in Santiago on 9 August 2025 (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP) Off A new wave of right-wing governments are deepening ties with Israel across Latin America, overturning the “pink tide” that drove foreign policy in solidarity with Palestine in the continent for many years. In few places is this more surprising than Chile, home to the largest Palestinian community outside of the Arab world and North Africa. President Jose Antonio Kast was elected in December following a campaign centred on countering immigration, bolstering national security and cutbacks on public spending.