Open letter to Chilean President on this week’s visit of Holocaust-denying anti-Semite Mahmoud Abbas to Santiago

Paris and Buenos Aires, 7 May

H.E. Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique
President of Chile
Santiago

Mr.President,

We have learned that you will be receiving this week the Holocaust denying antisemitic Palestinian President, Mahmud Abbas

We understand that Chile has the largest number of citizens of Palestinian origin outside the Palestinian Territories

We are certain that the Abbas visit can only serve those who wish to transplant the Middle East conflict to Latin America, with devastating consequences for the small Chilean Jewish community

Chile has received several Palestinian officials over the last year and the aftermath of their visits have led to increasing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish activity, especially on university campuses

We call on you Mr.President, to use your meeting with Abbas to rebuke his outrageous claims that the Jews were themselves responsible for the Holocaust as money-lenders

We call on you Mr.President to warn Abbas against inciting hatred on Chilean soil

Mr. President, Abbas plans to visit the ‘Palestina’ football team in Santiago. A danger, in that under his leadership every Palestinian football team, tournament and stadium has been named in honour of terrorists – an uncomfortable situation for FIFA and should be monitored in Chile.

Mr.President, Abbas has defiled his people, leading them into a swamp of terror.

Mr.President, your recent election evokes a proudly democratic Chile

Do not allow it to be touched by an autocratic hatemonger

Most respecfully

Shimon Samuels,Wiesenthal Centre Director for International   Relations and Ariel Gelblung,its Latin America Representative