Chile’s Palestinian Federation threatens country’s Jewish leaders

RIO DE JANEIRO — The Palestinian Federation of Chile threatens the country’s Jewish umbrella organization over its support of Israel’s decision to bar a Chilean boycott activist from entering the Jewish state.

“We warn the Jewish leadership not to play with fire,” reads a statement issued Monday in Spanish by the Palestinian federation regarding its executive director, Anuar Majluf, a prominent anti-Israel activist who was refused entry by the Israeli government on April 10.

“Such claims are absolutely false. Majluf has only exercised his right to legitimate political criticism of Israel and BDS, which he supports, is an essentially peaceful movement, framed in political activity,” adds the statement, referring to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

Chile’s Jewish community released a statement last week defending Israel’s ban on Majluf after the Chilean Foreign Ministry condemned the move.

“Any sovereign state, and Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East, has every right to admit or not a person who is fomenting the destruction of the state through boycott, divestment and sanctions such as what this gentlemen has been able to do,” Shai Agosin, president of the Chilean Jewish Community, declared in an interview with the Bio Bio radio station.

Chile is home to some 15,000 Jews. The country is also believed to host the largest Palestinian community outside of the Arab world, with more than 300,000 members.

— JTA