Israel

Colombia to Open Embassy in West Bank's Ramallah

MAY 23 2024·Updated MAY 24 2024

Story

Above: President of Colombia Gustavo Petro gives a speech as part of the 2024 International Workers Day on May 1, 2024 in Bogota, Colombia. Image credit: Diego Cuevas/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

Colombia's leftist Pres. Gustavo Petro has ordered the opening of an embassy in the West Bank city of Ramallah, his foreign minister announced Wednesday.
Al Jazeera
Ramallah serves as the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank under Pres. Mahmoud Abbas — and is among the options to replace Hamas in postwar Gaza.
The Times of Israel
Luis Gilberto Murillo said that this decision isn't against Israel, its people, or the Jews, adding that he believes more countries will recognize a Palestinian state soon.
Bloomberg.com
This comes as Ireland, Norway, and Spain said they would formally recognize Palestinian statehood on May 28, joining more than 140 UN member states — but with no G7 country among them.
NBC
Bogotá recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv and closed the embassy earlier this month — severing diplomatic ties over the Israel-Hamas war as Petro has requested to join the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Reuters
He also called for the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop Israel's military operation in Gaza.
Middle East Monitor

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The Spin

Pro-Israel narrative

As Colombia has cut ties with Israel and now moves to install an embassy in the West Bank, the Latin American country is rewarding Hamas' terrorism. And while the romance between so-called progressive politicians and the terror group has been quite unusual, it's hardly a surprise that Petro has sided with terrorists as he was a guerrilla leader himself.

The Jerusalem Post

Pro-Palestine narrative

First and foremost, Colombia officially recognized the state of Palestine years before Petro took office. The announced plans to open an embassy in the occupied West Bank are only natural development, especially as the two-state solution remains the best way to bring about lasting peace.

The Cradle