SWC denounces anti-Israel event in Chilean Parliament slated for week of 1st anniversary of deadliest pogrom against Jews Since the Holocaust.

September 26, 2024

In an act of historical inversion of the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust on October 7^th,  the Chilean Senate and Chamber of Deputies' Chilean-Palestinian friendship groups are sponsoring an event titled "A year of genocide, 76 years of suffering" on October 9th in the Hall of Honor of the Congress of Chile.

Rather than condemning the murder of more than 1,100 innocent Israelis on October 7^th, this “commemoration” inverts history by portraying Israel as a genocidal state – an act of demonization that seeks to rewrite history and mocks the victims of the actual unspeakable atrocities carried out by Palestinian terrorists on October 7^th.

Dr. Ariel Gelblung, Director for Latin America at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said: “While most of the civilized world commemorates Oct. 7^th for what it was – a brutal massacre with genocidal intent, the mass rape of Israeli women, the kidnapping and hostage-taking by Hamas, the Chilean Congress is allowing its Hall of Honor to promote a narrative that portrays Israel as the root of all suffering in the region. This narrative aligns with ideologies that seek to delegitimize and ultimately destroy Israel. Such one-sided rhetoric justifies hatred and violence against Israelis and the destruction of the Israeli state itself.”

“ The SWC is also deeply worried about the impact this pro-Hamas event will have on Chile’s Jewish community. In the times we live in today, the demonization of the Jewish state and her supporters makes every Jew a potential target for hate around the world. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is urging Chilean leaders to block the use of the Parliament for the anti-Israel hatefest."

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. 

 The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).