The situation in the Middle East complicates Israel’s diplomatic relations with Colombia and Brazil

In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro has just announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Israel. While in Brazil, President Lula, who had strongly criticized the Jewish state, seems to want to ease tensions.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Wednesday May 1 the severance of diplomatic ties with Israel, describing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “genocidal” in his conduct of the war in Gaza.

If Latin America is a region particularly in favor of the Palestinian cause, not all countries are ready to do the same. In Brazil, Lula strongly criticized Israel, comparing, on February 18, the situation to a “genocide“But since then, Brazil seems to want to ease tensions between the two countries.

Colombia: “The country suspends all arms purchases from Israel”

In Colombia, the first left-wing president in the country’s history, Gustavo Petro announced on Wednesday the severance of diplomatic relations with Israel. A munprecedented measure for a country historically linked to Israel. It all started with the recall of the Colombian ambassador to Israel, at the start of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Then, Colombia joined 52 other states in submitting South Africa’s petition to the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Things got worse on February 29, when President Gustavo Petro ordered a suspension of arms purchases from Israel. “By asking for food, more than 100 Palestinians were killed by Netanyahu. It’s called genocide and reminiscent of the Holocaust, world powers don’t like to recognize it. The world must block Netanyahu. Colombia suspends all arms purchases from Israelthen published the head of state on his social network X profile.

Israel is one of the country’s main arms suppliers

This is therefore not the first time that Gustavo Petro has used the term “genocide”. Which inevitably strained relations between Colombia and Israel. Even more so since May 1, since Gustavo Petro used the same terms to announce the severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reacted to Gustavo Petro’s announcement, also on his social network X profile: “The Colombian president promised to reward Hamas murderers and rapists, and he kept his promise today.”.

This break in diplomatic relations could change things in the short term, particularly from a security point of view for Colombia. Because Israel is one of the main suppliers of weapons and defense systems. Colombia and Israel have been arms partners for more than four decades. Israel provides Colombia with various types of arsenals, software, aircraft, telecommunications, spare parts and training for the navy, army and police. Many former ministers and experts have urged the president to reverse his decision. But for now, nothing has changed.

Brazil: diplomatic escalation stops

After Jair Bolsonaro, unconditional support of Israel, Lula’s return to power in October 2022, traditionally in favor of the Palestinian cause, was not very well received by the Netanyahu government. A supporter of the two-state solution, Brazil has in the past recognized the sovereignty of the Palestinian state. If Lula denounces the terrorist attack of October 7 without ambiguity, his statements during the African Union summit at the end of February initiate a deep crisis.

“What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, it is a genocide”Lula then declared, adding that “What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has not happened at any other time in history. In fact, it has happened before: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews”. The Israeli executive reacts strongly, the Brazilian president is declared “persona non grata” and the respective ambassadors are summoned. But the diplomatic escalation stops there and, without a return to normal, the situation stabilizes.

A primarily diplomatic issue

Israel is not an essential trading partner for Brazil; rather internal and diplomatic issues are at stake here. Lula hoped, with his speech, to mobilize his most left-wing base, disconcerted by certain decisions taken under pressure from a very right-wing Congress. He also hoped to strengthen his position with the countries of the global South.

But Lula, adept at improvisation, may have gone further than expected, and does not seem to want to double down. First, to avoid completely alienating the evangelical electorate, who are very sensitive to the Israeli question. But also because the Brazilian diplomatic tradition celebrates its ability to communicate with the whole world. Breaking with Israel could lead to knee-jerk reactions, at a time when Lula wants to present himself as a mediator on the international scene. For this, he is counting, among other things, on the organization of the G20 in Rio de Janeiro in November, and should therefore not take such a divisive decision on such a delicate subject.