In Washington, D.C. yesterday with other Ibero-American leaders to attend the White House’s Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders’ Summit, Chilean President Gabriel Boric took the opportunity to issue a strong statement on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Recall that earlier this week, he had recalled Chile’s ambassador to Israel “for consultations,” and referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as “collective punishment” of the Palestinian population.
After his bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden, in which he reported having raised his government’s “concerns” over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Boric told reporters upon leaving the White House that he “energetically and categorically” condemned the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He underscored that Israel has the right to defend itself and demanded the liberation of all hostages. But, he added, the right to self-defense “has limits,” Spain’s daily El País reported him saying.
Innocent civilian lives, especially those of children, must be respected, he said. “We don’t accept being forced to choose between one side or the other; we choose humanity. Just as Hamas’ attacks have no justification and deserve international condemnation, what the Benjamin Netanyahu government is doing today deserves our clearest condemnation.” The deaths of more than 8,000 civilians shows that Israel’s response is “disproportionate and that international humanitarian law is being violated. What is happening in the Gaza Strip is simply unacceptable,” he said.
