LATIN AMERICA'S TURN TOWARDS ISRAEL

FROM IDEOLOGICAL FIXATION TOWARDS PRAGMATISM

- DR. ARNAB CHAKRABARTY*

Latin America has always been sharply divided over Israel and Palestine owing to its political axes. Conservative regimes focussed on shared Judeo-Christian values, trade relations and military cooperation with Israel, while the Latin American Left espoused nationalism, anti-colonialism, struggle for freedom and a shared history with the Palestinian diaspora. Although support for Palestine coloured the region, a change in regimes exhibited stronger support for Israel fuelled by a sense of pragmatism. The end of the Cold War, the rise of Israel as a force to reckon with, a declining Left explains how these Latin American states adopted a pragmatic approach towards the Israel-Palestine imbroglio by either balancing between the two or completely shifting towards Israel.

Left’s inclination towards Palestine

Imagery of equality, solidarity and a common struggle for human rights and sovereignty characterised the Left and its struggles against imperialism and foreign intervention. It sees the Palestinian struggle in the same context, without forgetting the years of suffering under right-wing dictatorships, which were financed, supported and aided by the with the covert support of Israel.