Colombia Severing Diplomatic Ties With Israel

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Facts

• Colombia's Pres. Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday that the country will sever diplomatic ties with Israel, whose government he described as 'genocidal' for its actions in Gaza.¹
• Once formally notified of this decision, the Israeli ambassador to Bogotá and his staff will have 72 hours to leave Colombia. Previously, Colombia's ambassador to Tel Aviv was recalled and arms purchases were suspended.²
• Colombia is the third Latin American country to cut relations with Israel over the war in Gaza, as Bolivia and Belize severed ties in November. Chile and Honduras have also recalled their ambassadors to Israel.³
• In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Petro was “antisemitic and full of hatred' and that he wouldn't change the historically close relations between both countries.⁴
• Last month, Colombia requested to join the South Africa v. Israel case at the International Court of Justice concerning alleged violations of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.⁵
• Petro earlier this year also announced the suspension of purchases of weapons from Israel — months after Israel halted security exports to Colombia over remarks comparing the siege on Gaza to the actions of Nazi Germany.⁶

Sources: ¹Washington Post, ²Colombia News, ³New York Times, ⁴Times of Israel, ⁵Al Jazeera and ⁶Associated Press.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Actions to isolate Israel will only hurt the countries that choose to cut ties. Israel's history of isolation hasn't hindered its growth, as the nation has prioritized its own interests, especially in matters of defense. Despite international alienation, the nation remains resolute in doing what it needs to do to survive.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by The New Arab. Israel's unrestrained violence in Gaza has been compared to apartheid and makes it subjected to accountability by international courts, so it's no surprise the list of countries rightly cutting ties with Israel is growing. It's time for the US and other Western allies to pressure Israel enough for it to change course significantly.

Predictions