Who is José Antonio Kast, Chile's new pro-Israel, ultra-conservative president?

Chile elected a new ultra-conservative and pro-Israel president on Sunday, a result set to mark a sharp shift in the country's foreign policy.

José Antonio Kast, 59, defeated his communist rival Jeanette Jara by 58 percent to 42 percent, campaigning on a platform focused on security and immigration reform, including tighter controls along Chile’s northern borders with Peru and Bolivia.

Kast is a deeply polarising figure among Chileans, due to both his family history and his ultra-conservative views.

A controversial family

A lawyer by profession, Kast is a staunch Catholic and has been active in politics for around three decades, with this election marking his third presidential bid.

In 2016, he broke away from Chile’s main conservative party to found the Republican Party.

Beyond his opposition to abortion, same sex marriage, divorce and euthanasia, Kast has openly expressed admiration for the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a period marked by widespread human rights abuses. One of Kast’s brothers served as a minister during that era.

His family background has also drawn scrutiny. Kast's parents settled in Chile in 1950 after leaving post-war Germany.

His father was a member of the Nazi Party during the Second World War and served in the German military. Kast has denied that his father was a Nazi, saying he was "forcibly" conscripted.

Stance on Israel-Palestine

Despite Chile being home to the largest Palestinian population outside the Middle East, Kast has taken a strongly pro-Israel position and repeatedly criticised outgoing President Gabriel Boric over his stance on the Gaza genocide.

During the campaign, Kast said he would "rectify the mistakes made by Boric" in foreign policy, after Chile called on the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza and recalled its ambassador.

In March 2024, Kast criticised the government's decision to bar Israel from participating in the International Air and Space Fair FIDAE, saying Boric was "once again evidencing his antisemitism" through what he described as an irresponsible and ideological decision.

His position stands in stark contrast to that of Jara, who has voiced strong support for Palestine and said she would suspend relations with Israel.

Far right and pro Israel allies hail Kast election result

Kast’s election result was swiftly welcomed by a range of right-wing governments and officials, drawing concern among critics over the direction Chile’s foreign policy may now take.

Argentina's far-right president, Javier Milei, was among the first to congratulate Kast, praising the outcome as an opportunity for the Americas to “embrace the ideas of freedom” and cast off what he called the "oppressive yoke of 21st-century socialism".

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa also endorsed the result, declaring that a "new era is beginning for Chile and for the region".

In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the outcome, saying the United States expected Chile to advance "shared priorities" including public security, tougher immigration controls and closer commercial ties.

Israeli officials were equally quick to respond. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said he was confident the new presidency would strengthen bilateral relations, a sentiment echoed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, underscoring the sharp contrast with the outgoing government’s criticism of Israel over Gaza.