Hanukkah celebrations in Chile met opposition this year, with politicians decrying the hanukkiah as an icon of genocide, a public hanukkiah being vandalized, and protesters threatening to shut down a candle lighting ceremony in a series of events that raised concerns with local Jewish community leaders.
Los Lagos Senator Iván Moreira and Los Lagos parliamentarian Jaime Sáez Quiroz decried the installation of a public hanukkiah in Puerto Montt by the local Council of Evangelical Pastors on December 17, lambasting the traditionalHanukkah candelabra for its ostensible connection to a supposed genocide in Gaza.“The candelabra is the symbol of death,” Moreira said on social media.
Sáez, on X/Twitter, demanded the justification for installing “such a sensitive symbol” in the context of a “genocide of civilians in Palestine.”
Hoy nos encontramos con esta sorpresa en la costanera de Puerto Montt. Yo le pregunto a quienes administran este espacio @minvu_loslagos, cual es la justificación para deliberadamente instalar un símbolo tan sensible, entendiendo la fuerte carga que significa el genocidio a… pic.twitter.com/sWMlfu9OeR
A demonstrator holds up a sign reading ‘Free Palestine’ during a march rally in support of Palestinian people in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Santiago, Chile, March 17, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Vanessa Rubilar)
AJC snaps back
The American Jewish Committee criticized Sáez and leaders like Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font for importing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into their own country and, by doing so, “endangering the Jewish community through hostile and inaccurate rhetoric.
“Let us be clear: The menorah is a symbol of light and hope for the Jewish people and has nothing to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” AJC Latino posted to X on December 20.
Los Lagos parliamentarian Mauro González Villarroel defended the Puerto Montt hanukkiah installment, urging Moreira on social media, “Respect each other.” Moreira responded that the matter was not one of freedom of worship and dismissed Villarroel as a defender of genocide.
The Jewish Community of Chile (CJCh) issued a statement on December 18 condemning the senator’s comments as one of the “most intolerant, serious, and contemptuous” recent events for freedom of worship in the country. The organization explained that the candelabra is a religious symbol and there was no conflict with Christmas, which the Jewish holiday usually falls near.
“THE HANUKKIAH has no political connotation whatsoever, and its installation was duly authorized by all the relevant organizations, within the framework of respect for the cultural and religious diversity that characterizes our nation,” said the CJCh. “Attacks such as those of Senator Iván Moreira constitute an open expression of antisemitism and religious intolerance that only seek to incite hatred and discrimination.”
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Moreira later deleted his X post, issued a retraction, and assured the Jewish community that he was not an antisemite but was against the legitimization of the State of Israel’s actions.
Israeli ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzyeli, posted on social media on December 17 that Moreira’s statements were “clear antisemitism,” and he was convinced that they did not represent the Chilean people.US Ambassador to Chile Bernadette Meehan did not directly refer to the senator’s statement in a December 18 social media post for Hanukkah but emphasized that hanukkiot were not political symbols – rather, they are emblems of hope and faith. Jewish Community of Chile president Ariela Agosin and Artzyeli thanked Meehan for her statement.
The massive menorah at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan. (credit: ALEXI ROSENFELD/GETTY IMAGES/JTA)“In a year marked by suffering around the world, including in the Middle East, it is more crucial than ever to condemn hatred and intolerance in all its forms, including antisemitism,” said Meehan.
The Puerto Montt hanukkiah was vandalized on December 25, according to Pastor Marco Melo Hernandez and the Combat Antisemitism Movement, and splattered with red paint and letters pasted onto the main pole spelling out “assassins.”Melo and Artzyeli blamed Moreira’s comments for leading to the vandalism.
“Words of incitement, hatred, and antisemitism lead to actions, and the lack of condemnation legitimizes them. The first step was toward a symbol, this morning against the hanukkiah on the seafront of Puerto Montt. Then they will go after the Jews,” Artzyeli said on X.“Let no one say that he did not know, that he did not see, or that he did not hear. The incitement and displays of contempt against Israel and the Jewish community have reached a dangerous point.”Moreira shot back on X on December 26 that Artzyeli and the Israeli government were responsible, claiming, “You brought war to Chile” and “You provoked us all.”That day, Sáez wrote on X that he rejected the vandalism of the Hanukkah installation as inappropriate in a democracy, insisting that it was separate from legitimate criticism of the situation in the Middle East.“Hate speech has no place in Chilean society,” said Sáez.CJCh Executive Director Dafne Englander warned in a Wednesday El Mostrador column that the vandalism of the Puerto Montt hanukkiah proved that antisemitic rhetoric could lead to violent behavior.
“WHEN LANGUAGE is used to dehumanize or demonize people, groups, or institutions, we should not be surprised by discriminatory and violent behavior, which undoubtedly threatens our democracy and the common good,” wrote Englander. “Chile is a diverse country, enriched by the coexistence of different cultures, beliefs, and traditions. The acts of intolerance we have experienced should not define us, but they should mobilize us to firmly reject hatred in any of its forms.”
Melo led the Council of Pastors Friends of Israel in a lighting of the hanukkiah, an event attended by Agosin and local dignitaries, according to the pastor and CJCh. Casa De Las Aguas, which said it participated in the celebration, said on Facebook on Thursday that in the face of all the opposition, the event was a “blessing and victory.”In San Antonio, a December 30 Hanukkah celebration event hosted by Mayor Omar Vera in collaboration with the Israeli embassy was canceled on December 29 as several anti-Israel groups threatened large protests.The San Antonio Coordinator for Palestine said holding the event with the Israeli embassy was a violent act, which the anti-Israel group accused of supporting genocide. The protest groups included Unión Árabe Quinta Región, San Antonio Coordinator for Palestine, Sentir Palestino, and Palestina Resiste, according to the Diaspora Ministry.“Free Palestine! End the genocide! San Antonio will not be an accomplice!” said the anti-Israel group.Vera announced that the city had suspended the Hanukkah event in a December 29 statement, explaining it had done so to manage the city based on “dialogue, understanding, and respect for peaceful coexistence” and in view of international events.Unión Árabe Quinta Region welcomed the move, thanking all those who drew awareness to the infiltration of institutions by “the tentacles of Zionism.”The Israeli embassy denounced the “messages of hate and religious intolerance” that led to the cancellation of the religious event, asserting on Facebook that it set a dangerous precedent for Jews being unable to express their faith in public, explaining that “Giving in to individuals and groups that, through intimidation, promote censorship, hatred, and antisemitism, poses a risk to societies that defend values such as democracy, human rights, and diversity.”
