Colombia to cut arms purchases from Western nations that support Israel

Just hours before the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) entered Shifa Hospital in Gaza to reach the headquarters of the terrorist organization Hamas, Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to “X” (former Twitter) to, once again, condemn the military operation by Israel and repost pro-Palestinian news sources. In one post, Petro declares: “They (Israel) entered by force, and found no weapons inside the hospital. Another war crime by those who preach democracy.” There has been no mention in Petro’s narratives that Israel’s “precise and targeted operation” inside Shifa Hospital included a delivery of incubators and lifesaving medical supplies. The IDF even announced that it would enter the hospital with its own medical staff and Arabic speakers to help patients, but this did not deter Petro to pause and reflect on his words.

The obsessive social media postings by the Colombian President against Israel – and also directed at President Benjamin Netanyahu – was accompanied this week by a declaration that Colombia will stop purchasing arms from countries that opposed – or abstained – in a recent UN resolution advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution, presented by Russia, fell short of the required votes in the UN Assembly.

“Colombia will not engage in arms deals with producer nations that stood against or abstained from supporting the proposition for a Gaza ceasefire at the United Nations,” emphasized Petro. This decision, by Colombia’s first leftist government, essentially cuts off military support from most Western nations, including the United States, France, Italy, and Great Britain. It means that Colombia will not purchase military equipment either from Japan that also voted in support of Israel, nor Brazil, Ecuador, Malta, and Switzerland – countries that abstained in their vote.

Moreover, Petro announced the nation’s intention to petition the United Nations for the recognition of Palestine as a full member state. Currently holding observer status, Palestine is not a full member of the international organization. Threatening legal action against Israel for what Petro repeatedly describes as “miserable” acts in Gaza, the president asserted that “democratic and progressive nations must unite to uphold international humanitarian law and prevent the spread of barbarism globally.”

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry is preparing a lawsuit before the International Criminal Court (ICJ) in the Hague against Israeli’s Benjamin Netanyahu. The formal complaint, initiated by Algeria, alleges that the Prime Minister has committed “genocide” in the Palestinian territories since the terror attack on October 7.

Petro’s increasingly isolationist role among the community of nations, and his antisemitic stance on “X,” comes as the President embarks, in less than a month, on a second trip to the United States to participate in the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The event comes just days after more than 300,000 marched on Washington D.C., in a monumental showing of support for Israel and  Jews in the U.S. Hosted by US President Joe Biden, and with the attendance by China’s Xi Jingpin, Petro’s participation at the San Francisco summit comes with his lowest public opinion rating since taking office 15 months ago.

With 64% of Colombians disapproving of his handling of the country – according to a Datexco poll – despite one of the worst ratings for a Colombian president in almost two decades, President Petro continues to raise the ire of Israel and key Western allies that have openly condemned Hamas. The decision to stop arms purchases for the Colombian military, which depends on US military assistance and technical support for counter-narcotics interdiction, further deepens Petro’s strategic interests with Russia, Venezuela, and Iran, nations that are state sponsors of terrorism, and consider as allies Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Upon Petro’s return from the APEC summit on Friday, he will meet with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, and sixth meeting between the two leaders since taking office on August 7, last year. Right-wing opposition Senator of the Centro Democrático party, María Fernanda Cabal, slammed Petro’s return to Miraflores, stating: “He is to meet once again with the worst human rights violator and dictator Maduro. Petro’s pastime is to post on “X” and spend the money of Colombians traveling.”