Latin America stands firm against Israel as Arab world hesitates

In a show of solidarity with the Palestinians, several South American countries have taken a strong stance against Israel in response to its recent war with Hamas.

Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, all with left or left-leaning governments, have responded to the war in varying degrees. Meanwhile, the immediate neighbors of the conflict in West Asia have hesitated to react impulsively, for various reasons.

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Bolivia cuts ties with Israel

• Bolivia, in particular, went a step further by cutting diplomatic ties entirely with Israel on Tuesday, October 31, citing alleged war crimes and human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip.
• Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani, at a press conference on Tuesday, said, Bolivia has taken this step following a "disproportionate Israeli military offensive."

• María Nela Prada, a minister in President Luis Arce's administration, demanded an end to the attacks on the Gaza Strip, citing the thousands of civilian casualties and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
• Bolivia's decision to sever diplomatic relations with Israel was influenced by former president Evo Morales, who called for the classification of Israel as a "terrorist state" and the denunciation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the international criminal court for genocide and war crimes reported Al Jazeera.
• Bolivia had previously broken off relations with Israel in 2009 but re-established ties in 2020 under a different administration.

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Chile and Colombia recall ambassadors

• Chile and Colombia also took action by recalling their ambassadors from Israel.
• Chilean President Gabriel Boric said Israel has violated “International Humanitarian Law” and is carrying out a “collective punishment” of the Gazans.
• According to Al Jazeera, Chile is home to the largest Palestinian diaspora outside of the Arab world.
• Gustavo Petro, the Colombian President said the attacks were a “massacre of the Palestinian people”.
• Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, too, criticised the continued airstrikes on Gaza.

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It is noteworthy that traditionally leftist countries have backed the Palestinean cause against the US-led capitalist world in the Cold War era.

Another notable reason for the reactions from South America is their relatively lesser dependence on Israel and the US. They are, anyway thousands of kilometres away from where it's all unfolding.

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Reactions in the Arab World

• In contrast to the strong stance taken by South American countries, the response from Arab nations has been more mixed, characterised by pragmatism.
• While some Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have expressed concern and called for an immediate stoppage of the escalation in the Gaza Strip, others have shown hesitance in their reactions.
• Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi have firmly refused to accept Palestinian refugees, stating concerns that Israel's intentions may involve pushing Palestinians to migrate to neighbouring countries, which could very well be a thing, the Israelis have in the back of their minds.

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• Both countries fear that such a move could lead to permanent demographic changes that could undermine Palestinian statehood aspirations and endanger regional stability.
• Egypt, in particular, is concerned about the possibility of Palestinians entering its Sinai Peninsula in the northeast, and potentially launching attacks on Israel.
• Egypt would not want that, also because Sinai is now calmer, which has had a history of insurgency.
• The Arab nations which have fought a bunch of wars with Israel for the Palestinean cause, in the past, are hesitant because of the recent normalisation of ties and the symbiotic relation they enjoy with Israel and its closest ally, the US. 

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While the South American stance demonstrates a strong condemnation of Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, the Arab stance is characterised by caution and apprehension, reflecting the complex historical and geopolitical dynamics in West Asia.

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