South American state to sever ties with Israel

Bogota will cut diplomatic relations with Israel due to its “genocidal” leadership, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Wednesday.

In March, following a UN Security Council resolution seeking an immediate ceasefire and more humanitarian aid to Gaza, he vowed to sever ties with the Jewish state should it fail to meet the demands.

In a Labor Day speech in Bogota, Petro expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza whose “children have died, dismembered by bombs.”

“Here, in front of you… as the president of the republic, I announce that tomorrow, on May 2, we will break off diplomatic relations with Israel for having a genocidal government,” the president said.

“A time of genocide, of an extermination of an entire nation before our eyes, cannot return… If Palestine dies, humanity dies,” he added.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the move, accusing President Petro of abetting Hamas and “siding with the most despicable monsters known to mankind.” He branded the South American leader a “hate-filled, anti-Semitic president,” in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The Islamist group launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, in which more than 1,100 Israelis were killed, and at least 250 taken hostage.

Colombia recalled its ambassador to Israel soon after the start of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) military operation in Gaza, which has so far killed some 34,000 Palestinians, according to local authorities. The IDF blockade of the enclave, massive bombing, and resulting humanitarian crisis, have brought widespread condemnation.

Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Honduras, Belize, Chad, Jordan, Bahrain, Türkiye and South Africa have recalled their ambassadors from Israel due to the hostilities in Gaza, with some breaking ties entirely.

South Africa, while condemning Hamas, has brought a case against Israel in the UN-backed International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of genocidal acts against civilians. In its ruling, the court demanded that Israel take all possible measures to prevent genocide, punish any IDF members who commit such acts, and sanction officials who publicly call for the genocide of Palestinians. It also called for measures to address “adverse conditions to life in the Gaza Strip.”