Israel’s ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzyeli, said diplomatic relations between the two countries have “reached rock bottom,” citing a prolonged breakdown in dialogue and what he described as hostile rhetoric from the Chilean government.
Speaking in Santiago, Artzyeli emphasized that tensions began long before Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. The ambassador criticized what he called an ongoing attempt by Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s administration to “demonize” Israel, arguing that such positions have harmed bilateral ties and deeply affected Chile’s Jewish community.
“There is a lot of activity in the private sector, academia, cybersecurity, water, and agriculture,” Artzyeli said. “We continue, but between governments, sometimes there is a low point, and that is the point we are at.”
Artzyeli defended Israel’s military response to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, and said legitimate criticism should be met with diplomatic dialogue rather than disengagement. “Even when two democracies — as is Chile and Israel — have differences, the way to deal with them is to talk more, not less,” he said.
Tensions escalated further following a post by President Boric on X (formerly Twitter), in which he accused Israel of reaffirming a “criminal vocation” and acting with the intent to destroy the Palestinian people. The post referred to the killing of civilians in Gaza and likened Israel’s actions to those of “jackals,” a comment that drew condemnation from Artzyeli.
The ambassador recounted that members of the local Jewish community present during the president’s remarks were moved to tears. “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 said.
Despite the diplomatic friction, Artzyeli pointed to continued cooperation between the countries in defense and technology, noting recent Chilean purchases of Israeli defense systems and official visits to Israel by Chilean military representatives.
“If Israel and Chile’s relationship were a stock, I would buy it,” he added. “Because the future of this relationship is bright.”
