Latin America comes out in force against Israel

August 1, 2014
Montevideo (AFP) - Latin Americas leaders are among t!e most ve!ement in
condemning Israels "a#a offensive -- la$elling t!e %e&is! state 'terrorist', recalling
am$assadors, and offering near-unanimous, un&avering su((ort to Palestinians)
"I can't remember another similar situation where (all the countries in the
region) have reacted practically as a bloc," said political scientist Reginaldo
Nasser, a professor at the Pontical !niversity in "ao Paulo, #ra$il%
&ne of the most symbolic recent developments came from #olivian
President 'vo (orales )) one of the leaders of *atin +merica's far left )) who
put Israel on its list of ",errorist "tates" and eliminated a visa waiver
program for Israeli citi$ens%
(ore than -,.// Palestinians have been 0illed and 1,/// in2ured, two)thirds
of them civilians, in 3a$a in 4. days of ghting between 5amas and Israel%
,he con6ict has also cost the lives of 7- Israeli soldiers, as well as two
civilians and a ,hai farm wor0er 0illed by roc0et re%
(ore than 4.8 of the dead Palestinians were children, !NI9': has said%
) ;iplomatic recalls )
<iew gallery
Object1
<ene$uelan President Nicolas (aduro holds a paper that has written ""&"
Palestine" in supp =
#ra$il President ;ilma Rousse> this wee0 called the Israeli military
operation a "massacre%"
,ensions between the two countries had already escalated a wee0 earlier,
when #ra$il recalled its envoy from ,el +viv, a move that prompted Israel's
foreign ministry spo0esman to call the *atin +merican powerhouse a
"diplomatic dwarf"%
Rousse>'s condemnation did not go as far as some of her peers% <ene$uela
President Nicolas (aduro denounced "a war of e?termination that has
lasted nearly a century" against the Palestinian people% + lawma0er from his
party used the term "genocide" )) a term re2ected by Rousse>%
Peru, 'cuador, 9hile, and 'l "alvador have also recalled their ambassadors
for consultations, while 9osta Rica and +rgentina, which have the largest
@ewish populations in the region, called the Israeli ambassador for meetings
at their foreign ministries%
,he region has universally condemned the violence from Israeli military
operations, urged a ceasere and the resumption of negotiations between
the two sides%
&n ,hursday, !ruguay President @ose (u2ica as0ed for "an immediate
withdrawal" of Israeli troops from 3a$a and suggested it may also recall its
envoy in ,el +viv%
Israeli foreign ministry spo0esman Aigal Palmor e?pressed "deep
disappointment" over the recalls, saying they constituted "encouragement
for 5amas, a group recogni$ed as a terror organi$ation by many countries
around the world%"
&ther politically leftist *atin +merican countries had years earlier bro0en
diplomatic relations with Israel, including Nicaragua in 4/-/, <ene$uela and
#olivia in 4//B, after a previous military campaign in 3a$a, and 9uba, in
-BCD, after the Aom Eippur Far%
,he only somewhat dissonant voice has come from 9olombia, where the
center)right President @uan (anuel "antos has re2ected calls to recall his
diplomatic representative in ,el +viv%
) :ollowing the people )
Political scientist Nasser, himself surprised by the nearly unanimous
condemnation of Israel, suggested several reasons%
"In the rst place, a country today ma0ing a declaration against Israel is no
longer considered outside international norms," he said%
,here is also a lin0 to anti)+merican sentiments, Nasser said, as a result of
Israel's especially close diplomatic relationship to the !nited "tates%
#ut oGcial moves have also re6ected public anger at the war, said political
scientist Ithai #ras, of the +utonomous !niversity of (e?ico%
In recent wee0s, several protests across the region, from (e?ico to
southern 9hile, have seen thousands of *atin +mericans ta0e to the streets
in support of Palestinians%
,hese pro)Palestinian protests have been larger in 'urope and *atin
+merica than in +rab countries, Nasser noted, suggesting the issue spea0s
to concerns over asymmetrical relations%
#ras said the protests are "an identication with pain, a sentiment of
solidarity with what is happening in *atin +merica," where feelings of
oppression are widespread%
Posted $* +!avam