Massive crowds flooded the streets of Buenos Aires and Santiago this week—tens of thousands strong—chanting clear demands: “Kick out israelis” “Kick Zionism out” “Zionism out of Chile” “Zionism out of Argentina” The trigger? Viral footage and eyewitness accounts pointing to Israeli tourists deliberately igniting fires in Patagonia’s protected forests, including a recent confrontation in Los Glaciares National Park where hikers caught individuals starting blazes in restricted zones. This isn’t isolated. Over the past decade, similar incidents have surfaced repeatedly. In 2012, Chilean authorities arrested an Israeli backpacker whose negligence sparked a massive blaze in Torres del Paine National Park, scorching over 11,000 hectares. Expulsions followed in 2014 and 2017 for illegal campfires in no-burn areas, with park officials noting Israeli tourists accounted for a disproportionate share of violations. Locals have long voiced frustration over rule-breaking post-military-service travelers, fueling suspicions tied to older theories about foreign land interests in the resource-rich region. The current fires—arson confirmed in at least one case, with reports of accelerants and suspicious devices—erupted shortly after policy shifts easing land purchases on burned areas. Under President Javier Milei, who has publicly expressed Zionist sympathies and stated intentions to convert to Judaism after his term, reforms have repealed restrictions on foreign rural land ownership—previously capped at 15% nationally—and lifted prohibitions that once delayed redevelopment of fire-damaged properties for decades to deter arson for profit. These changes open protected zones to immediate acquisition by outsiders, including Israeli-linked buyers and firms like Mekorot with existing holdings in Patagonia. Adding to the suspicions, authorities recovered military-grade grenades in the affected regions. Protesters see a pattern: clear the land, devalue it, acquire it. Get full access to The Sean Morgan Report at seanmorganreport.substack.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices