Relationship between Colombia and Israel hanging by a thread: Petro threatens to break relations and Israel cuts exports

Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Israel seem to be reaching their breaking point, after President Gustavo Petro once again compared the Jewish country to the Nazi regime and stated that “Hitler will be defeated.”

Since Hamas attacked Israel, the Colombian president has shared more than 170 publications expressing his support for Palestine and criticizing the Israeli government while comparing it to Hitler's genocidal regime.

Isael takes action as a reprimand

In response to the “hostile and anti-Semitic” statements of the Colombian president, Israel first decided to summon Margarita Manjarrez, Colombia's ambassador to Israel, to a reprimand meeting and announced the halt of security exports to the Latin American country.

“At the meeting it was made clear to the ambassador that her statements were received in Israel with astonishment in the face of the savage terrorist attack by Hamas terrorists who murdered more than 1,300 Israelis and kidnapped more than 150,” reported the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat.

In his statement, Haiat explained that Petro's statements not only "reflect support for the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists ," but also "stoke anti-Semitism, affect the representatives of the State of Israel and threaten the peace of the Jewish community in Colombia.”

Petro threatens to suspend relations

Following Israel's announcement, the Colombian president once again shared a post blaming the Jewish country for triggering violence and once again compared it to Hitler.

“If we have to suspend foreign relations with Israel, we suspend them. We do not support genocides. The president of Colombia is not insulted,” Petro said even though he has been the one who has repeatedly criticized Israel through social networks.

Petro also asked Latin American countries throughout the region to show solidarity with Colombia and assured that Israel is the one that should apologize for the acts committed by Yair Klein (a mercenary accused of providing weapons to paramilitaries in Colombia) and the deceased general Rafael Eitan (former commander-in-chief of the Israel Defense Forces).

“Neither the Yair Klein nor the Raifal Eithan will be able to say what the history of peace in Colombia is. They unleashed the massacre and genocide in Colombia (…) Someday the army and the government of Israel will ask us for forgiveness for what their men did in our land, unleashing the genocide. I will hug them and cry for the murder of Auschwitz and Gaza, and for the Colombian Auschwitz,” he said, adding that “Hitler will be defeated for the good of humanity.”

Reactions to Petro's recent statements

A member of the European Parliament, Hermann Tertsch, reacted to the latest statements of the Colombian president: "Gustavo Petro, as a retired terrorist, has affection for the Hamas terrorists. And Petro does not realize that the person who most insults the presidency of Colombia is him maintaining a position that he obtained illegitimately," he wrote.

Other users on social networks also criticized the Colombian president's position.