Pro-Palestine protests in Seoul are worrying: Israeli ambassador

Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor expressed concerns, Thursday, over recent pro-Palestine protests in front of the Israeli Embassy in Seoul where “Khaybar” was chanted.

“Khaybar is the name of the town in which a Muslim army massacred the Jewish community in the seventh century in the Arabian Peninsula, so ‘Khaybar Khaybar YaYahud’ means ‘massacre the Jews.’ This is happening on the streets of Seoul,” Tor said during a press conference in Seoul.

While acknowledging the freedom to protest in Seoul, the ambassador expressed reservations about the tone and content of the demonstrations.

“There should be freedom to protest in Seoul, of course, but I think this is a little bit over the top,” he said.

Amid the protests, the Israeli Embassy in Seoul has received substantial support from the Christian community in Korea. “We are receiving a lot of support from Christians in Korea,” the envoy said.

The Israeli Embassy has also actively engaged in activities with churches and educational institutions to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict. Notable events include activities at Seoul National University, where an event named “Concert of the Missing” commemorates hostages.

In addition, Tor addressed the ongoing conflict with Hamas, shedding light on critical issues such as civilian infrastructure use, humanitarian aid and international support.

“One of the major difficulties is Hamas’s fighting from within civilian infrastructure, especially hospitals. This is Al-Shifa hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, and all the areas marked in red are Hamas installations beneath the hospital,” Tor said while referring to a map.

“On the day of Oct. 7, hostages were brought into the hospital, but Hamas denied it. However, we have evidence that they brought hostages into the hospital.”

The ambassador emphasized the need to deter both Hamas and Hezbollah to end the conflict in Gaza.

“We also have to deter Hamas and also deter Hezbollah, which is even stronger and is waiting on the northern border,” he said.

“We don’t know exactly when the war will end. I don’t know.”