President of Colombia, one of the most vocal critics of Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
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By
HELENA FRANSISCA NABABAN
·4 minutes read
BOGOTA, WEDNESDAY — President Colombia Gustavo Petro said Colombia was breaking diplomatic relations with Israel. The reason is that he considers Israel to have committed genocide in the war in the Gaza Strip. Colombia has also asked to join the International Court of Justice which is hearing cases of alleged Israeli genocide.
Petro made that statement on Wednesday (1/5/2024) local time or Thursday (2/5/2024) Indonesia time during the International Worker's Day commemoration in Bogota. Petro stated that countries cannot be passive in facing the crisis that is taking place in Gaza.
"Here, in front of you, the government of change, the president of the republic, announced that tomorrow we will sever diplomatic relations with Israel because it has a government, because it has a president who commits genocide," Petro said, as reported by Israeli media,The Times of Israel .
This move by Colombia follows several Latin American countries that have already decided to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, namely Honduras and Chile. Other Latin American countries have also been strong critics of Israel in the war in Gaza, including Brazil and Venezuela.
Israel Katz, the Foreign Minister of Israel, in Jerusalem, commented on Petro's statement and called it "antisemitic and full of hatred". Through social media X, Katz stated that Petro's decision to sever diplomatic relations between the two countries regarding the Gaza war is equivalent to giving a "gift" to Hamas.
”Relations between Colombia and Israel have always been warm. "No hateful, antisemitic president can change that," he added.
If Petro's plan is indeed implemented, the decision will end seven decades of Israel and Colombia's relations. Historically, Colombia is a Latin American country that has a close relationship with Israel.
Israel critic
Petro is known as a left-wing leader who came into power in 2022. Al Jazeera reported that Petro is considered part of the progressive wave called the "Pink Tide" in Latin America. He is one of the most vocal critics of Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
In October 2023, shortly after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, Petro accused Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of commenting on Gaza residents in language similar to "what the Nazis said to the Jews." Petro also ordered the Israeli representative in Bogota to leave the country. As a consequence, Israel stopped its "security export" to Colombia.
A month later, Petro accused Israel of committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The accusation sparked further outrage from Israeli officials and pro-Israel advocacy groups.
In February 2024, Colombia ceased its purchase of weapons from Israel. Despite relying heavily on Israeli armaments and aircraft for decades to combat conflicts with left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and drug cartels, the decision was made.
The trigger for the decision was the incident where Israeli troops fired upon Palestinian civilians who were trying to obtain food aid in Gaza. According to Petro, the event was a genocide and a "reminder of the Holocaust". "Democratic society cannot allow Nazism to regain power in international politics," said Petro.
The Israeli military rejected accusations that the actions in the incident were deliberate and called them "baseless."
In March 2024, Petro threatened to cut diplomatic ties if Israel does not comply with the United Nations Security Council's resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Petro's latest statement came amidst growing concerns about the possibility of an Israeli ground attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The attack, according to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, will mark an "unbearable escalation" in the conflict in Gaza. Since October 2023 until now, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 34,568 Palestinian residents have been killed in Israeli military attacks. The majority of the victims were women and children. Gaza residents also face a severe humanitarian crisis as a result of the war.
Meanwhile, according to Israeli data, the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of around 1,170 people, most of them civilians. Hamas also kidnapped around 250 people, 129 of whom are still in Gaza, including 34 people who Israel claimed were killed.
International Court of Justice
Alongside the diplomatic relationship termination, the Colombian Government also requested in early April to join the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which accuses Israel of committing genocide.
” Colombia's main goal in this effort is to ensure the urgent and maximum possible protection for Palestinians in Gaza, especially vulnerable groups, such as women, children, people with disabilities and the elderly ,” said the Colombian Government.
"The extraordinary nature and scale of Israel's attacks on Gaza, as well as the resulting damage to life conditions, reveal an intention to physically destroy Palestinian citizens as a group," said Albanese in his report.
However, Israel denies accusations of genocide. Israel called Albanese's report “an inappropriate inversion of reality.” (AFP/REUTERS)
Editor:
FRANSISCA ROMANA
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