How Colombia’s Diplomatic Break with Israel Impacts US Relations

President Petro’s decision to break diplomatic ties with Israel might further complicate relations between Colombia and the United States. Some key political figures, particularly inside the Republican party, have made their voices heard.

“This is just a continuation of the anti-Israel rhetoric that has been adopted. President Petro’s position is embarrassing. The decision of the Colombian government to cut a decades-old diplomatic relationship is condemnable” declared Senator Marco Rubio, a leading figure of the Republican Party.

“I have warned about the dangerous attitude of Petro towards Jewish people” declared U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar. “Now he is breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel and allying Colombia with Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua which are tyrannical regimes. Like every single Marxist, he draws away attention from his horrendous government, feeding anti-Semitism in the country”.

The White House made official comments on the matter

The Biden administration has asked both countries to sustain dialogues and re-establish relationships. Colombia, The United States, and Israel are currently in an unprecedented diplomatic dilemma.

“We sustain solid relationships with both Colombia and Israel. We encourage dialogue between both states and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between these valuable allies,” stated the White House. 

This conciliatory tone starkly contrasts with how the White House previously discussed President Petro’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Biden administration had previously criticized Colombia’s policy on the conflict. Now, Washington seems to have adopted a conciliatory strategy, as Israel and Colombia are both strategic allies of the U.S. 

The comments by the U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar were made at an audience convened by the Western Hemisphere subcommittee of the House of Representatives. Its official goal was to assess the rise of anti-semitism in Latin America.

The hearing, led by Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, featured testimony from Deborah Lipstadt, head of the Office of the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism at the State Department (SEAS).

During the hearing, Lipstadt expressed great concern over comments made by President Petro and other regional leaders.

“His comments, not only about Israel, really crossed a line. They are anti-Semitic and they do not help, they do not help the Jewish community in Colombia. They do not help stability and they do not help the search for peace,” said Lipstadt.

She also indicated that the decision by some regional leaders, like President Petro, to recall their ambassadors for consultation as a protest strategy was not contributing to finding solutions to the crisis.

Have President Petro’s comments further hindered Colombia’s relationship with the United States?

In reference to past comments from the Colombian president, Lipstadt categorized them as offensive and unfortunate.

“It is offensive and unfortunate that leaders like Petro have compared what is happening with Hitler. We are very disappointed that some have decided to suspend relations with Israel and others, like Colombia, have recalled their ambassadors for consultation,” the official said.

A few months earlier, President Petro had sparked controversy through his refusal to openly condemn the massacre of civilians on October 7, 2023, by Hamas, as was mentioned in the hearing. Later, the Colombian president also made controversial remarks comparing the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to those of Adolf Hitler, describing Gaza as a “concentration camp” and stating that this “policy of hate” would lead to a new Holocaust.

Lipstadt concluded her remarks at the hearing by stating “We were shocked to see Colombian President Gustavo Petro compare the Israeli government with Hitler’s genocidal regime. We strongly condemn President Petro’s statements and ask him to condemn Hamas, an organization designated as terrorist, for its barbaric murder of Israeli men, women, and children.”

Even though the Biden Administration’s tone has been conciliatory, these comments have the potential to further distance the two countries. This comes after the United States referenced an ongoing investigation against Juan Fernando Petro and Nicolas Petro, respectively brother and son of the Colombian President, in a report on corruption and human rights.