Former Colombia president condemns restoring ties with Israel
Displaced Palestinians make their way along a street with destroyed buildings at Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, May 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)
August 23, 2026 04:55 PM GMT+03:00
Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Sunday that establishing relations with Israel while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power would amount to “applauding the genocide in Gaza.”
In a video message, Petro pointed to the number of women and children killed in Gaza and said: “Establishing relations with Israel while the Netanyahu government is in power means applauding a genocide in which 22,000 babies have been killed.”
He said Colombia had also experienced what he described as genocide in its past and argued that “humanity must not allow a new Holocaust in the world.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference with the US Secretary of State at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, Sept. 15, 2025. (AFP Photo)
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Petro calls for sovereignty for Israel, Palestine
Petro said full sovereignty should be guaranteed for both the state of Israel and the state of Palestine.
Colombia announced on May 3, 2024, that it was severing diplomatic relations with Israel over Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
Later that month, on May 23, Petro instructed Colombian authorities to open an embassy in Ramallah.
On July 21, Petro also criticized Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella’s pledge to reestablish diplomatic relations with Israel.
Petro described the proposal as “an insult to national honor.”
August 23, 2026 04:55 PM GMT+03:00