Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced that he will be breaking diplomatic relations with Israel amid the nation’s military conflict with Hamas.
Petro publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has requested to join South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justices that accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, according to a report by Reuters.
"Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel...for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal," Petro said as he addressed a crowd that marched in Colombia’s capital for International Worker’s Day.
“If Palestine dies, humanity dies, and we are not going to let it die,” he added.
In response to Petro's remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the decision, labeling Petro's stance as siding with "despicable monsters."
“History will remember that Gustavo Petro decided to side with the most despicable monsters known to mankind who burned babies, murdered children, raped women and kidnapped innocent civilians,” Katz said in a post on X.
Petro's criticism of Israel dates back to the October 7 attack by Hamas that claimed the lives of roughly 1,200 Israeli civilians. Following the attack, Petro criticized the Jewish nation’s counter-offensive and recalled Colombia’s ambassador to Israel.
Petro, who was elected in 2022, is Colombia’s first leftist president and has walked back much of the longstanding support the Latin American country has had for Israel.
“Relations between Israel and Colombia always were warm and no antisemitic and hate-filled president will succeed in changing that,” Katz said on Tuesday. “The state of Israel will continue to defend its citizens without worry and without fear.”
