Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro met with the ambassadors of Israel and Palestine to discuss his controversial position an ongoing war in the Middle East.
The two meetings came days after Petro’s criticism on Israel’s war with Palestinian armed group Hamas caused a major diplomatic crisis with Tel Aviv and its main ally, the government of the United States.
The president’s allegation that Israeli atrocities in the occupied Gaza Strip resembled those committed against the Jewish people by Nazi Germany triggered Israel’s foreign ministry to suspend military aid to Colombia.
Colombia threatens to cut ties with Israel over war on Gaza
Following the talks that were organized by Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva, Petro said on social media that he had stressed the need for an international peace conference.
I met today with the Israeli ambassador and the Palestinian ambassador. I have expressed my position to achieve an international peace conference that will open the way for two independent and free states.
President Gustavo Petro
Petro said he also reiterated his solidarity with “the Israeli and Palestine children who should and have the right to live in peace.”
Israeli ambassador Gali Dagan, who was almost kicked out of Colombia, shared a social media post of Jewish community leader Marcos Peckel, who said the image of Petro and the representative of the State of Israel “brings me a lot of joy.”
The photo was taken amid major diplomatic pressure from Washington DC, the most prominent security sponsor of both the governments of Israel and Colombia.
