Debate Over Restrictions on Israeli Citizens’ Entry to Chile Heats Up Amid Environmental Concerns and Accountability Issues

Original article: Fuego, falta de reciprocidad y genocidio: El debate por restricciones al ingreso de ciudadanos israelíes a Chile

By Antonia Rivera Passi, Journalist

The discussion surrounding the necessity to reassess the entry requirements for Israeli citizens into Chile has resurfaced on the public agenda.

Currently, Israeli citizens can enter the country visa-free as tourists, but a series of incidents—environmental concerns, entry restrictions placed on Chileans in Israeli-controlled territories, and the presence of military personnel accused of international crimes—has reignited the debate about potential administrative measures based on reciprocity, prevention, and compliance with international law.

Wildfires and Negligence in Patagonia

Among the factors driving this discussion are reports of irresponsible behaviors attributed to Israeli passport holders in protected natural areas, particularly in Chile’s Patagonia.

From 2011 to 2026, at least seven incidents involving the unauthorized use of heat sources—such as campfires, stoves, or cigarettes—by Israeli citizens in national parks have been recorded, leading to expulsions, legal proceedings, and administrative penalties.

Although not all these episodes resulted in wildfires, they have been deemed by authorities and environmental organizations as high-risk situations for fragile ecosystems.

The most severe case occurred in December 2011 at Torres del Paine National Park, where Israeli citizen Rotem Singer burned toilet paper in the Francés Valley, causing a fire that consumed over 17,000 hectares of the park. This event is regarded as one of the most disastrous environmental incidents in the history of this protected area.

The legal case concluded with a reparative agreement, allowing Singer to pay $10,000 to the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) and commit to reforestation efforts, enabling him to leave the country without facing any effective criminal conviction.

Environmental organizations frequently cite this incident as evidence of structural weaknesses in the preventive, supervisory, and penal mechanisms addressing negligent behaviors in ecologically valuable zones.

Lack of Reciprocity

This situation is further aggravated by the absence of reciprocity in entry conditions between Chile and Israel. While Israeli citizens can enter Chile without a visa and stay for up to 90 days as tourists, Chileans must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA-IL) to enter Israel or Palestinian Territories, providing personal and travel information without any assurance of final admission.

Numerous testimonies recount prolonged interrogations, arbitrary rejections, and mobility restrictions—a recurring practice that particularly affects Chileans of Palestinian descent.

The most recent documented case involves Macarena Chahuán, a Chilean citizen who was denied entry to Palestine in July 2025, despite having her documentation in order. Chahuán recounted being subjected to hours of interrogation and ultimately forced to return without receiving a formal explanation for the denial. “It was arbitrary and humiliating treatment,” she told CIP.

According to specialized immigration lawyers, these situations reflect an unequal relationship, where Chilean citizens face discretionary controls and mobility restrictions that do not have an equivalent treatment for Israeli passport holders entering Chile.

“From an international law perspective, states have broad powers, based on their sovereignty, to regulate the entry of foreigners, as long as such measures respect the framework of human rights,” explains Danny Rayman Labrin, an attorney and international consultant specializing in international human rights law.

In this context, he adds, “Chile’s visa requirement for Israeli nationals can be justified by the principle of reciprocity, in the sense that Chilean nationals require a visa to enter Israel and by the state’s duty to exercise prevention and diligence against significant risks to internal security, public order, and the environment.”

Genocide

The debate has become even more sensitive following reports of Israeli military personnel in Chile accused of participating in genocide in Gaza.

In 2024, the case of soldier Saar Hirshoren, a member of the Israeli Army’s Combat Engineering Battalion 749, sparked controversy after his presence in the Aysén Region was confirmed amidst a criminal complaint against him for war crimes and genocide.

Upon learning of the soldier’s presence in national territory, the group Lawyers for Palestine filed a complaint with the Public Ministry, aiming to investigate his potential criminal liability and evaluate the adoption of precautionary measures, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction and Chile’s commitments under the Rome Statute.

However, Hirshoren left the country without facing any immigration or legal restrictions, which, according to the complainants, highlighted a legal and operational gap in the Chilean system for monitoring individuals accused of international crimes.

“Currently, there are no real filters to assess whether someone entering as a tourist has participated in international crimes,” states Nelson Hadad Abuhadba, a lawyer and member of Lawyers for Palestine. “Chile has clear legal obligations but lacks effective protocols to fulfill them,” he emphasizes.

In light of this situation, the organization submitted a formal request to the National Migration Service to implement a preventive immigration control protocol, including mandatory disclosure of military service records in occupying forces, rank, and involvement in operations, taking cues from practices employed in other countries.

“The Migration Law stipulates explicit grounds for prohibiting entry related to serious crimes and international offenses,” explains Hadad. “The issue is not normative but political: those tools exist, but they are not being utilized,” he asserts.

For the organization, Chile cannot become a transit or rest area for individuals involved in genocide while Chilean citizens face arbitrary restrictions, and the country bears the environmental and legal costs stemming from the lack of effective controls.

“Adherence to international law is not optional,” concludes Hadad. “It is a state obligation.”

Antonia Rivera Passi