A leftwing candidate with a history of controversial statements on Israel has become Chile’s new leader after defeating a man many claimed was Chile’s ‘Donald Trump.'
Gabriel Boric’s supporters took to the streets of Santiago and proclaimed a historic victory for the 35-year-old candidate and he received messages of support from prominent leftwing British figures including Jeremy Corbyn.
Huge congratulations to Gabriel Boric elected as socialist President of Chile!
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 19, 2021
A victory for hope and change.
El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!
But some in Chile’s small Jewish community have expressed concern over his win.
Mr. Boric has previously attracted criticism for his stance on Israel and defended his claims that Israel has committed genocide.
During the hotly contested campaign in the country, Mr. Boric referred to the State of Israel as ‘murderous’ in a meeting with the Jewish community as well as signalling his support for the Palestinian cause in a meeting with Chilean-Palestinians.
In a Chilean TV interview, he said: "All the countries that violate international law, such as Israel, China, or Turkey, should respect international norms. It doesn't matter how much power that country has, we need our foreign policy to defend human rights with all its might.”
Mr. Boric, who will become Chile’s youngest-ever president also attracted criticism for a 2019 tweet in which he responded to a Rosh Hashanah gift of honey from Chile’s Jewish community by posting: “ The Jewish Community in Chile sends me a jar of honey for the Jewish New Year, reaffirming its commitment to "a more inclusive, supportive and respectful society." I appreciate the gesture but they could start by asking Israel to return the illegally occupied Palestinian territory.
La Comunidad Judía en Chile me envía un tarrito de miel por el año nuevo judio, reafirmando su compromiso cn "una sociedad más inclusiva, solidaria y respetuosa". Agradezco el gesto pero podrían partir por pedirle a Israel que devuelva el territorio palestino ilegalmente ocupado. pic.twitter.com/rtb1dt8QRP
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) October 2, 2019
The leader of the Chilean community in Israel told Israel Hayom: Boric has voted for every bill against Israel, called Israel a murderous state on public television, and consistently supports a boycott of Israel."
Chile is the largest Palestinian ex-pat community in the world and home to over 450,000 Palestinian migrants, many of whom are Christian. The country’s Jewish population is believed to number less than 20,000.
