Politicians from different parties supported a bill to ban products from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. The initiative comes in the wake of a Human Rights Watch report that details apartheid policies aimed at the population in the occupied territories. The American Jewish Committee, meanwhile, urged the Chilean government to proceed with caution.
Lawmakers have presented a bill in Congress to outlaw imports from Israel’s illegal settlements. The bill comes after Human Rights Watch wrote in a report that Israel was implementing “abusive practices” in Palestine.
The bill enjoys broad support, including from Sergio Gahona, from right-wing Independent Democratic Union party (UDI), and Jorge Brito, from left-wing Democratic Revolution (RD).
Cooperativa quoted Brito as saying that “due to our commitment to human rights, we join the call from international organizations and we want to establish that our country doesn’t allow commercialization of products made in illegally and militarily occupied territories.”
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He added “there are over 80 Israeli settlements in Palestine where natural resources are extracted, or products are made, in the same place where soldiers aim at and detain children and teenagers.”
Gahona said “it is clear that, as Chile, we can’t stop a war, but we can give clear signs that what is happening in Palestinian territory are loathsome crimes against humanity.”
The American Jewish Committee tweeted in response it was “deeply concerned” and urged the Chilean government to “proceed with caution.”
Human Rights Watch said in late April that Israeli authorities are committing crimes against humanity, using persecution and apartheid policies to dominate Palestinian territory.
The UN Human Rights Council recently greenlighted investigations into human rights violations and “possible war crimes” allegedly committed by Israel during the 11-day hostilities in May.
Javiera is from Santiago de Chile, she is studying journalism at Universidad de Chile, since 2017 and doing her internship at Chile Today.