Golden Years

Chapter 6 examines the triangular relationship between the Pinochet regime, the leadership of the Jewish-Chilean community, and the Israeli government from September 1977 to December 1983, and is divided into three sections. The first section covers the period between September 1977 and August 1980, marked by the looming threat of war with Argentina. This period began with Pinochet’s first visit to a Santiago synagogue—a gesture that became a recurring practice well into the 1980s. The second section examines the period from September 1980 to December 1983. Although the relocation of Chile’s Embassy to Israel in 1980 initially caused disappointment, the crisis proved short-lived. Indeed, Pinochet continued attending Yom Kippur services, backing Israel at the UN, and sending high-ranking representatives to the Jewish state. These included the commanders-in-chief of the Air Force and Navy. The third and final section contrasts the Pinochet regime’s stance on Jews with the actions of Miguel Serrano, a conspicuous Chilean antisemite. Serrano made headlines in March 1978 when, during a visit to Santiago from his residence in Switzerland, he praised Hitler and denied the Holocaust. He began publishing antisemitic literature shortly thereafter. However, most Chilean right-wingers stood in stark contrast to Serrano, refraining from anti-Jewish hostility.