Hamas Praises Colombia’s Breaking Relations With Israel, Urges All Of Latin America To Follow

Hamas is praising the government of Colombia and its leftist president Gustavo Petro for on Thursday formally cutting diplomatic ties with Israel after accusing its military of genocide against the Palestinian people. 

A Hamas statement the same day hailed it as a “recognition of the suffering of Palestinian people” and further urged more Latin American countries to follow suit. Bolivia was the first to do so earlier in the nearly 7-month long conflict.

The Hamas statement said countries around the globe must cut ties with “a rogue and fascist entity that is continuing its crimes against our people.” Interestingly the language seems geared toward appealing to Global South countries who have long struggled against colonial powers.

Petro was elected in 2022, and that’s when the country’s relations to Israel dramatically shifted. He is Colombia’s first Left-wing president in its history, and before that Tel Aviv and Bogota enjoyed strong, positive relations.

In a Wednesday speech before a May Day rally in the capital, Petro said,”Tomorrow (Thursday) diplomatic relations with the state of Israel will be severed… for having a genocidal president.” 

“If Palestine dies, humanity dies, and we will not let it die,” he said at one point in the speech. He proclaimed that “democratic peoples cannot allow Nazism to reestablish itself in international politics.”

However, Bloomberg has noted that his motives could partly be to distract from the ongoing economic crisis in the country:

Petro is looking to counter large anti-government rallies that took place on April 21 and said his administration will send a package of bills to congress meant to boost economic growth.

The package will include measures that force the financial sector to provide cheap financing to productive sectors, Petro said.

“It will consist of bills that generate forced investment in the Colombian private financial system aimed at credits for small, medium, and large industries, agriculture, and tourism in Colombia, to reactivate the country,” he said.

Petro has for months been a fiery vocal critic of Israel, having first threatened to sever relations with Israel back in March. Late last year he also announced plans to open an embassy in the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah. Israel’s foreign ministry has slammed the “antisemitic” move to sever official relations.

“if Palestine dies, humanity dies.”

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro says the country is cutting diplomatic ties with Israel over its war on Gaza. pic.twitter.com/XZxpHE0rTy

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 2, 2024

“Relations between Israel and Colombia always were warm and no antisemitic and hate-filled president will succeed in changing that,” Katz wrote on X. “The state of Israel will continue to defend its citizens without worry and without fear.”

It remains to be seen whether other Left-leaning governments in the region follow Colombia and Bolivia. Already Chile has recalled its ambassador from Israel.