Chile's newly elected president has pledged to restore the country's ambassador to Israel within weeks, marking a shift in diplomatic relations after a two year absence. The position has remained vacant since former President Gabriel Boric decided not to maintain full diplomatic representation.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated significantly under Boric, who was openly critical of Israel. During his presidency, he refused to accept the credentials of Israel's ambassador to Chile in protest over the killing of a 17 year old Palestinian who had fired at Israeli forces during an operation in the West Bank.

The move was widely seen as a serious diplomatic rebuke. A former leader of Chile's Jewish community described Boric's actions at the time as the most serious expression of hostility toward Israel by a Chilean president. The incoming administration now signals an effort to repair ties by reestablishing ambassadorial representation.