Colombian President Gustavo Petro has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Petro, in a tweet on the platform (X), relayed by the American channel (Al Hurra) today, Saturday, stated, “Netanyahu will not stop the genocide in Gaza,” emphasizing that this necessitates an international arrest warrant from the ICC.
Earlier this month, the Colombian President announced that his country would sever diplomatic relations with Israel due to its actions in the Gaza Strip. Colombia is the second country in South America to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the events in Gaza, following Bolivia, which took similar action last November.
Recent relations between Colombia and Israel have become strained due to Colombia’s response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has taken a firm stance against Israel’s actions in Gaza, labeling them as “genocidal.” This has led to significant diplomatic actions including Colombia’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, a move announced by Petro in early May 2024. Colombia’s decision aligns it with Bolivia, another South American nation that has also cut ties with Israel over similar concerns.
The conflict escalated after Israel paused arms sales to Colombia. This decision was prompted by what the Israeli Foreign Ministry termed as “hostile and anti-Semitic statements” by President Petro, who has been vocal on social media about his views on the conflict, equating Israel’s military actions in Gaza to Nazism and suggesting that Hamas is a creation of Mossad meant to divide Palestinians. These statements have significantly soured the relations that were previously marked by a free trade agreement and military cooperation between the two countries.
The response from the international community and within Colombia has been mixed. Some have condemned Petro’s statements as potentially harmful to the Jewish community in Colombia, while others have supported his stance, viewing it as a stand against human rights abuses.