The president of Chile sparked a diplomatic row with Israel Thursday, after he snubbed Israel’s new ambassador to Chile.

• On Thursday, Israel’s new ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzeyli, was scheduled to meet with President Gabriel Boric and to present his credentials and formally replace Marina Rosenberg as ambassador.

The ceremony – typically a formality – made international news, however, when Artzeyli was rebuffed at the last minute, with Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola informing him that President Boric refused to meet with him.

Walla reported that Artzeyli had already arrived at the presidential residence when he was refused entry.

• According to a report by Israel’s Yediot Aharanot, Artzeyli was told that the meeting was cancelled after Boric was angered by Israel allegedly “killing children in Gaza”.

In fact, Boric appeared to be referencing the killing of a 17-year-old Palestinian Arab terrorist who had attacked IDF soldiers during an operation early Thursday morning, following the murder of IDF Major Bar Falah.

• Late Thursday night, Chile’s foreign ministry issued an apology to Artzyeli.

Chilean foreign ministry officials said the ceremony for receiving Artzyeli’s credentials has been rescheduled to October.

• Artzyeli later said the incident was “quite uncomfortable,” but vowed to “overcome” it for the sake of relations between the two countries.

Chile’s 36-year-old far-left president was elected last November, taking office in March.

• Boric has repeatedly condemned Israel, calling it a “genocidal and murderous state”, and has endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, as well as the establishment of a Palestinian state.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented: “Israel views with severity the puzzling and unprecedented behavior of Chile. This seriously harms the relations between the countries. The Chilean ambassador to Israel will be summoned to the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday for reprimand, and the Israeli response will be clarified to the ambassador.”

Source: Arutz Sheva