Gustavo Petro, leader of the far-left of Colombia, announced on Wednesday that he would suspend diplomatic ties with Israel on Thursday due to the country’s “genocide” in Gaza.
The Colombian president made the announcement in a speech delivered as part of a formal government event to mark” International Workers ‘ Day” or” May Day,” a holiday honoring the murderous ideology of communism.
Prior to the October 7 Hamas atrocities, Petro had earlier threatened to cut ties with Israel and publicly denounce Israel for carrying out self-defense operations against the ideology extremist group Hamas. Petro has nearly single-handedly eroded decades of kindness between Colombia and Israel in the months that followed. Petro referred to the military’s “genocide” against Hamas jihadists.
During a rally, masked Palestinian gunmen from the Hamas militant group hold weapons ( AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File ).
” Here in front of you, the state of change, the President of the Republic, informs that tomorrow diplomatic ties with the state of Israel may be broken for having a government, for having a leader, a murderous one”! Petro said.
Jewish President Isaac Herzog or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were the targets of his “genocidal” claim, he did not specify. In Israel, the prime minister holds more energy than the generally ceremonial leader.
” I believe that today society, all in the roads, by the millions, agrees with us and we with it”, Petro continued.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Hamas apparently applauded Petro’s choice, calling it a “victory” and urging other Latin American nations to follow match.
In a speech, Hamas said,” We greatly appreciate the position of Brazilian President Gustavo Petro, which we regard as a victory for the sacrifices of our citizens and their only reason.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Petro’s statement in a speech that was made available in both Spanish and Hebrew, claiming that Petro “kept his guarantee” of gratifying Hamas.
On September 20, 2018, during a test run of the new high-speed train between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, close to Lod and Ben Gurion international airport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ( R ) and then-Israeli Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz ( THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images ) sits next to him.
” History will remember that Gustavo Petro sided with the most disgusting monsters known to have murdered children, raped ladies, and kidnapped honest residents,” Katz’s message read.
” Relations between Israel and Colombia have always been comfortable – and no dislike- filled, racist leader will be able to change that”, he continued. ” The State of Israel will continue to defend its citizens without fear or dread,” the statement read.
Shortly after Hamas ‘ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which left more than 1, 200 citizens deads and hundreds taken hostage, Petro, a former member of the Marxist M19 guerrilla, not only failed to condemn Hamas, but began a fierce condemnation campaign against Israel. His insults to Jerusalem severely deteriorated Colombia’s historically friendly relations, which were first established in 1957.
Petro compared Israel’s actions to Nazi Germany in a number of posts posted on his personal Twitter account shortly after the self-defense operations began, calling Gaza a concentration camp in contrast.
On January 25, 2015, a sign that reads” Work macht frei” (‘Work makes you free’ ) is pictured in Oswiecim, Poland, days before the camp’s 70th anniversary was marked by Russian forces ( JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images ).
Petro wrote at the time,” If I had lived in Germany in 1933, I would have fought on the side of the Jews, and if I had lived in Palestine in 1948, I would have fought on the Palestinian side.” ” Now the neo- Nazis want the destruction of the Palestinian people, freedom and culture. Democrats and progressives are currently seeking peace and freedom for the Palestinian and Israeli populations.
Petro’s antisemitic comparisons were met with Israel’s response by halting its security exports to Colombia, which have been essential in Colombia’s decades-long battle against the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ( FARC ), National Liberation Army ( ELN), as well as other guerrilla groups like M19.
Petro’s first threat to have Colombia cut ties with Israel came after the halt in security exports. If Israel did not adhere to a non-binding resolution that the UN Security Council ( UNSC ) at the time demanded an immediate stop to Hamas operations, he once more threatened to cut ties with Israel in March.
Petro made a public claim in March that some of M19’s members had trained with pro-Palestine paramilitary forces in Libya, claiming that both groups shared” the same root.”
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro speaks to crowd during the International Workers Day in Bogota, Colombia, on May 1, 2024 ( Juancho Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images ).
” Why did we go there to practice guitars under the stars?” Next to the Polisario Front, which I recognized”, he continued. ” Arabs fighting for their nation, for their homeland, against injustice. Look at what is happening today in Palestine. They lost their home country.
Petro also claimed that M19 had engaged in combat with organizations like the Palestine Liberation Organization at the time.
” We also want to have a homeland. That is why the M- 19, in stories not known, was in the deserts of the Sahara and was side by side with the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Polisario Front, and the SWAPO”, he claimed, “and, although they may not like it, of the African National Congress, which was Nelson Mandela’s guerrilla. The M19 fought with Nelson Mandela for freedom”.
The status of the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and Israel, which became effective in 2020, is still a mystery at the press conference. The treaty allows Colombia to easily export fuel, mineral oils, coffee, tea, spices, and electrical and image recording equipment to Israel, in addition to more of the nation’s exports.
Christian K. Caruzo is a writer from Venezuela who writes about life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter , here.
