Overview

• The gate of Santiago’s Bikur Cholim Synagogue was defaced Friday night with red paint, antisemitic slogans, and a poster showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a bullet hole on his forehead.
• Police opened an investigation into the vandalism, and no arrests have been announced.
• Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren condemned the act, saying hatred and intimidation have no justification and dissent must be expressed through respectful dialogue.
• Israeli Ambassador Peleg Lewi called the incident unacceptable, noted antisemitic cases in Chile have been rare since Oct. 7, 2023, and cautioned against importing the Middle East conflict.
• The Jewish Community of Chile denounced the attack as intolerable, and the Anti-Defamation League warned that the case highlights the ongoing global threat of antisemitism.