Chile to Open Embassy in Palestinian Territories

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile plans to open an embassy in the Palestinian territories, President Gabriel Boric said, which could make the Andean country one of only a handful to have an embassy-level office in the territories that are contested with Israel.

Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola confirmed the plan on Thursday but said there was no timeline in place yet and that Chile continues to recognize both Palestine and Israel as legitimate states (eliding the fact that the Palestinians have yet to attain statehood).

Leftist Boric, who has repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinian people’s demand for an independent state, made the comments at a private ceremony in Santiago hosted by the city’s Palestinian community.

“I am taking a risk (saying) this… we are going to raise our official representation in Palestine from having a charge d’affaires; now we are going to open an embassy,” Boric said, without giving details on where the embassy would be located.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Chile said it would not be making a public statement on the matter.

The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of business hours.