What Can Chile Teach Us? A Liberal Jewish Take on the Left’s Antisemitism Dilemma
On December 19th, 2021, Gabriel Boric delivered a boisterous victory speech from Chile’s capital, Santiago, in which he promised to bring sweeping change to the country. Just hours earlier, Boric defeated José Antonio Kast by a whopping eleven percentage points to become Chile’s 36th president. Boric, a 35-year-old leftist, rose to national prominence after years of protesting for progressive policies in Chile. A supporter of abortion rights, student debt cancellation, and the abolition of private prisons, Boric seems to embody global left-wing demands for social change. Standing in his way was Kast, son of a Nazi lieutenant who fled Germany for Chile in 1950. A staunch Pinochet-defender and supporter of far-right populist ideals, Kast drew comparisons to former US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Thus, the election forced Chileans to choose between the two ever-widening poles of global politics. Ultimately, Boric emerged victorious, all but assuring a more progressive future for the South American nation. So what’s the problem? President-elect Boric is an antisemite.
In 2019, Boric issued a statement on Twitter after an organization called The Jewish Community of Chile sent him a gift for Rosh Hashanah. The tweet read as follows: “The Jewish Community of Chile sends me a pot of honey for the Jewish new year, reaffirming its commitment to ‘a more inclusive and respectful society.’ I appreciate the gesture, but they could start by asking Israel to return the illegally occupied Palestinian territory.” First, let me issue a disclaimer (one that Jews are all too familiar with); criticism of Israel can be valid, and Palestinian human rights matter. We can (and should) scrutinize Israeli policy. However, Boric’s implication of Jewish Chileans in Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is overtly antisemitic. What do Jewish citizens of Chile, located over eight thousand miles away from Israel, have to do with decisions authorized by the then-Netanyahu administration? During Boric’s successful presidential campaign, he nonetheless doubled down on his past antisemitic remarks, singling out Israel as a “murderous” and “genocidal” state, and blaming Jews for Israel’s shortcomings. In July 2021, over 500 Jewish women in Chile penned an open letter to Boric, citing their deep concerns about his antisemitic comments. When contacted by the Jewish Community of Chile for comment, Boric refused to reply unless Jewish community leaders vocally opposed Israel.
Let us rewind to before the Chilean election. Suppose you are a liberal Chilean Jew deciding which candidate to support for President. The results of the earlier runoff election have just come in, and it is down to Gabriel Boric and José Antonio Kast. Do you decide to support the right-wing authoritarian who opposes your core social beliefs, or do you hold your nose and vote for the antisemitic candidate who shares your pro-choice views? This dilemma presented the ultimate Catch-22 for liberal Chilean Jews. By electing the candidate with whom you share a majority of viewpoints, you are also jeopardizing your identity. Yet by voting for the candidate that opposes your political views, you risk the future of your country. The 2021 Chilean elections raise an essential question that will define global politics for Jewish people: how do we reconcile our identity and political preferences?
Answering this question will be challenging because it requires something of us that we seldom engage in within today’s tenuous political zeitgeist: we must call out antisemitism when it comes from our side of the political spectrum. I, like many Wesleyan students, consider myself liberal. As such, when prominent Democrats make controversial statements, I find it incredibly difficult to point out my disagreement with their viewpoints in fear of my words being used as conservative cannon fodder. However, in the past decade, a growing number of liberals have gotten away with antisemitic remarks. Consider Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s interview with Jake Tapper of CNN in June 2021. When Tapper pointed out that several Jewish Democrats in the House of Representatives felt offended by her past antisemitic comments, Congresswoman Omar refused to offer a sincere apology. Instead, she claimed that her Jewish Democratic colleagues had not been “partners in justice.” This is incredibly frustrating for liberal Jews because we align ourselves with many of Congresswoman Omar’s progressive political preferences and her larger commitment to social justice. Yet, we consistently feel abandoned by her because of our Jewish identity. Suddenly, our Jewishness ostracizes us from progressive political circles, forcing us to choose between identity and politics when the two should be working in tandem. As such, it becomes our duty to call out progressives who make antisemitic remarks, not because we disagree with their views on abortion or education, but because we must refuse to alienate Jews from liberal politics.
So what can we learn from the recent Chilean election? Boric’s victory reaffirms how mainstream left-wing antisemitism has become. In recent years, media coverage of antisemitism on the right has, at the very least, been present. Especially in liberal circles, we are quick to call out antisemites like former Republican Congressman Steve King for his prejudicial remarks. Yet, antisemitism from the left escapes our scrutiny. As such, antisemitic comments made by progressives like Congresswoman Omar are becoming socially acceptable political dialogue. We must not allow this pattern to continue. We cannot be coerced into giving up our core identities for our political beliefs. And most importantly, we must be willing to use our voices to unequivocally condemn antisemitism wherever it may lie, regardless of how difficult it can be to challenge our side. If we do, perhaps liberal Jews will no longer be forced to choose between a progressive antisemite and a far-right populist. Only then can Jewish people find a true home in progressive politics.
Sources
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/kast-concedes-to-boric-in-chile-presidential-elections-689209
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/19/americas/chile-election-gabriel-boric-intl-nk/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/09/jose-antonio-kast-father-nazi-germany/
https://wallpaperaccess.com/chile-flag