Kast Reverses Boric’s Military Policy and Revives Cooperation with Israel Amid Gaza Genocide Concerns

Original article: Kast revierte política de Boric y reactiva cooperación militar con Israel tras suspensión por el genocidio en Gaza

The Government of José Antonio Kast has reinstated military cooperation with Israel, previously suspended by former President Gabriel Boric in response to the genocide perpetrated by the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip. 

In May 2025, the former leader ordered the withdrawal of defense, military, and air attachés from the Chilean embassy in Tel Aviv due to escalating Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

This decision was preceded by various diplomatic actions, including summoning then Ambassador Jorge Carvajal San Martín over “unacceptable violations of international law” by Tel Aviv, recorded in November 2023, and the exclusion of Israeli companies from the Fidae 2024 aerospace fair. 

However, just four months after taking office, Kast has reversed this decision and is expected to announce in the coming days the new military attachés aimed at restoring ties with one of the main suppliers of technology and equipment for the Chilean Armed Forces.

Diego Khamis, director of the Palestinian Community in Chile, warned that this decision represents a “dangerous shift”, not only concerning relations with Palestine, but also regarding Chile’s standing in international relations.

As part of the process to reactivate a cooperation agenda that had been on hold for over a year, Chile’s new ambassador to Israel, Gabriel Zaliasnik, who recently presented his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, will play a crucial role in Kast’s administration, as he is expected to be responsible for restoring defense ties between Tel Aviv and Santiago.

Zaliasnik has already taken concrete steps in this direction, such as his recent visit to Palmachim Air Base, a strategic facility for the Zionist regime from which drone and guided weapons operations have been launched to attack Gaza.

This military rapprochement has triggered strong criticism from political and human rights sectors, including from legal expert and former Chilean ambassador to Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Ecuador, Nelson Hadad, who pointed out the influence of U.S. President Donald Trump on both Kast’s foreign policy and those of other far-right leaders.

«I have the impression that there is a noticeable influence from the United States, not only concerning Chile but regarding all countries that today are shifting to the right, which are practically united around a process of normalizing relations, not just diplomatically, but commercially and militarily with the State of Israel,” stated the lawyer, who leads the group “Lawyers for Palestine,” in comments to Hispan TV.

The controversy occurs amid perceptions of inaction from Kast’s government regarding interfering remarks by the Israeli ambassador in Chile, Peleg Lewi, who expressed “concern” via a message on social media about the use of “neighbor funds to promote divisive political discourses, hate speech, and baseless claims” by the Municipality of Viña del Mar, where the Palestinian photojournalist Belal Khaled’s exhibition “Anatomy of a Genocide” took place.

Following these comments, deputies and senators from various political sectors denounced that Lewiwi, had exceeded the limits of his diplomatic role, demanding that the Foreign Ministry act decisively to “defend our country’s sovereignty.”

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