Colombia cuts ties with Israel over Hamas war
COLOMBIA’S PRESIDENT announced last week that his country would be breaking off diplomatic ties with Israel due to the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
“Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic, announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel… for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal,” said President Gustavo Petro during an International Workers Day march in Bogota.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted: “The president of Colombia promised to give a reward to the murderers of Hamas – and the day has come.
“History will remember that Gustavo Petro decided to side with the most despicable monsters known to mankind, who burned babies, murdered children, raped women and kidnapped innocent civilians.”
He went on to say that bilateral relations between the countries had historically been warm, and that “not even an antisemitic and hatefilled president will be able to change that. The State of Israel will continue to protect its citizens without fear.”
The Colombian president threatened in March to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if it did not comply with a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for a halt to fighting in Gaza until the end of Ramadan.
Katz pushed back then as well, writing, “Israel will continue to protect its citizens and will not give in to any pressure or threats.” Colombia’s left-wing leader caused a stir earlier in March when he compared Israel to Nazis and said his country would no longer purchase weapons from the Jewish state. “Asking for food, more than 100 Palestinians were killed by Netanyahu. This is called genocide and is reminiscent of the Holocaust even if the world powers do not like to recognise it,” he wrote on social media. “The world must block Netanyahu.”
Petro, who assumed power in 2022, has made the same comparison many times before, including prior to taking office in 2019, when he wrote: “The state of Israel is one thing and the Jewish religion is another, just as the Colombian state is one thing and the Catholic religion is another. Confusing state and religion is typical of the archaic mentality. The State of Israel discriminates against Palestinians like the Nazis discriminate against Jews.” On October 8, a day after the Hamas massacre, he wrote: “Now the neoNazis want the destruction of the Palestinian people, freedom and culture. Now, democrats and progressives want peace to prevail and the Israeli and Palestinian people to be free.”
He had previously requested to join South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.