Israel’s Foreign Minister Thanks Chile for Leaving a Group It Never Joined, Sparking Diplomatic Confusion

Original article: Confusión diplomática: Canciller israelí agradece a Chile por retirarse de un grupo que nunca integró

Israel’s Foreign Minister Thanks Chile for Leaving a Group It Never Joined, Sparking Diplomatic Confusion

A recent post by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, has ignited a wave of questions and confusion across social media. Today, the Israeli minister claimed to have spoken with his Chilean counterpart, Francisco Pérez Mackenna, commending him for Chile’s «moral decision» to withdraw from the so-called Hague Group.

The post gained significant traction in the Chilean political landscape after being shared by lawyer Gabriel Zaliasnik, whose name has recently surged as a strong candidate for Chile’s ambassador to Tel Aviv under the administration of José Antonio Kast.

What is the Hague Group?

The Hague Group is an international coalition of states coordinating legal and diplomatic actions before organizations such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Its primary goal is to enhance compliance with international law and oversee high-impact judicial processes globally.

The Core Mistake and Palestinian Reaction

The central issue of the controversy is that, according to official and diplomatic records, Chile has never been a member of this group, which means that there was neither a «withdrawal» to execute nor appreciation to be expressed.

In response to this situation, the Palestinian Community in Chile reacted sharply and ironically on the same platform:

«As we say in Chile, lies have short legs. We hope our foreign minister has corrected the ‘chief of imaginary diplomacy’ of the fugitive Netanyahu,» they stated in a post, describing Sa’ar as the «czar of imaginary diplomacy.»

As of now, the Chilean Foreign Ministry has not released an official statement to clarify whether the Israeli minister’s message was a misinterpretation or a confusion regarding Chile’s historical position in international courts.