Chile: Shot fired at Israeli ambassador's car

Foreign Ministry confirms Chilean media reports that bullet smashed windshield of Israeli envoy David Dadon's vehicle on Sunday. No one injured in incident, but ambassador's security tightened

Jonathan Weber |Published: 10.14.09 , 21:47

A gunshot was fired Sunday at the car of Israel's ambassador to Chile, according to a report by Chilean newspaper El Mercurio. The ambassador, David Dadon, was not in the car at the time of the incident, and there were no injuries.

According to the report, Dadon discovered the damage caused to his car when he was about to leave for an event at around 7 pm.

The newspaper reported that the bullet had infiltrated the car's rear windshield and was later found inside the car. Dadon called the police, and soldiers and police officers dispatched to the area closed it to traffic.

Police officer Fernando Vera told the newspaper that the police had launched an investigation into the incident and had also questioned the guard stationed at the entrance to the street, located in a prestigious neighborhood in the capital of Santiago.

Investigators later reported that the bullet found in the car matched the hole in the windshield.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the circumstances of the incident are unclear, but Israeli security sources are involved in the investigation. In addition, the ambassador's security has been tightened and several other steps will be taken in order to ensure the safety of Israel's representatives in the South American country until the event's circumstances are made clear.

Jewish leader: A serious incident

Gabriel Zaliasnik, president of the Chilean Jewish Community, expressed his concern over the incident in an interview with El Mercurioc from Buenos Aires. "It appears serious, and encourages people who are trying to bring the Mideast conflict into Chile. We must be very careful during the investigation."

Zaliansik did not rule out the possibility that the incident was a terror attack. He said that recent months have seen the atmosphere towards Jews in Chile worsen, following a series of false accusations on the part of the Palestinian federation over the events in the Middle East.

He added that he believed the police investigation would clarify the incident's circumstances and reveal who was behind it.

"It can only mean bad things, nothing good," he clarified. "We don't want any place in the world, particularly Chile, to become a convenient place for such attacks like the ones which took place in Argentina." He noted that no one had heard the actual gunshot.