THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL GOSPEL MINISTRY
Global Report
Chile | Winter 2026
Dan Price
Director of International Ministries
A Spreading Conflict:
Assembling Relief for Chilean Jewish People
“We feel completely abandoned. Since November 2023, there’s been no Chilean ambassador [in Israel]. Now we hear threats of a full rupture between Chile’s government and Israel. What message does that send to Jewish Chilean citizens under fire?”
These are the sentiments of the Jewish people in Chile who are facing the unprecedented rise of antisemitism in their country since October 7, 2023. The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s (FOI’s) workers are rolling up their sleeves to do something about it, in the name of Yeshua.
If giving from the UK or NZ, please designate your gift as "Chilean Ministry."
The Growing Menace of Antisemitism
One of the largest Jewish communities in South America is found in Santiago, Chile, where approximately 16,000 Jewish people live. They have a rich history deeply embedded in South American culture and a proud heritage of exploration and development of Chile’s infrastructure. However, Chile also is now home to 500,000 Palestinians. Tension between Chile’s Palestinian and Jewish communities, especially in Santiago, is rising.
Violent protests supporting Hamas continue throughout South America. Targeted attacks on Jewish individuals, synagogues, community centers, and schools have increased by 1,000% and continue to rise. Jewish children and youth are warned of the risk of violence they will encounter walking to school because their school uniforms display the Star of David. Leaders of the Jewish community in Santiago have pronounced similar warnings to the Jewish population generally about wearing kippahs (man’s head covering) or any other identifying symbol.
In May 2025, Chile’s then-president, Gabriel Boric, condemned Israel’s military operation in Gaza. His government then continued to antagonize Israel, threatening to boycott and divest from the Jewish state and even to sever all diplomatic relations. While we pray that Chile’s new pro-Israel president will check the rise of antisemitic policies, these past actions have fueled the growth of extreme antisemitism in Chile, which may be difficult to stop. And the Chilean Jewish community is suffering for it.
Observing these trends and events, our teams have been asking the same crucial question that inspired FOI’s inception back in 1938 during the darkest hours of the Holocaust: “What can we do to help God’s Chosen People?” We believe God is calling us to mount a mission in Chile to bring relief, comfort, and the love of Messiah to the beleaguered Jewish community there.
Why Now?
Mark Rubin, a church planter and professor at Facultad Teológica Bíblica Bautista in Santiago, Chile, has partnered with FOI for the past two years to pray and help develop our plan for ministry in Chile. Since Mark has lived and served in South America for more than 20 years, his connection to the Christian and Jewish communities in Santiago are vital to our understanding of how Christians can help. As Mark explains, “In order to visit a synagogue, one usually needs to be invited or accompanied by a member. In order for FOI to better facilitate Christians ministering to the Jewish community, it will require time to establish trust and develop that relationship.”
Our teams have begun to form those relationships of trust with local rabbis, physicians, and teachers to come alongside the Jewish community and first offer solidarity and support in the face of growing antisemitism.
We also are working to engage the evangelical church in Chile to rise up and embrace biblical truth about God’s love for Jewish people and the Christian responsibility to do the same. Early steps to lay the foundation for these ministries have begun, including translating Bible teaching resources like Israel My Glory magazine into Spanish, providing seminaries with FOI literature and media, and taking an exploratory trip to South America back in 2024. Now, God is opening new doors.
This fall, FOI will launch a weeklong teaching conference for believers and their pastors in Chile. This first edition will emphasize the biblical perspective on antisemitism, Zionism, and how Christians should think about these things. As part of the conference, we will provide supplemental educational opportunities for pastors from all over South America.
The Challenge
We are eager to follow God’s calling into Chile but also acutely aware that it will come with many challenges. As Mark Rubin explains, “The average Christian in Santiago has little to no interaction with Jewish people, and I have only known one Chilean in over 20 years in the country that exhibited any burden or interest in being sensitive to reaching Jewish people.”
We are hoping that our ministry plans for this fall will be the catalyst to begin changing that dynamic.
Will you pray with us as we attempt to stem the tide of antisemitism in Chile and bridge the gap between local evangelical churches and our embattled Jewish friends in Santiago?
Help us launch our Chilean ministry today.
If giving from the UK or NZ, please designate your gift as "Chilean Ministry."
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Photo credits: Adobe Stock, Michelle Celedon via Unsplash, Friends of Israel Archives
