Colombia's Petro calls Gaza genocide, compares Palestinians to Christ
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro denounces the Israeli actions in Gaza as a “bloody genocide” and calls attention to the torture of Palestinian Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
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Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, center, arrives at a ceremony marking the 133rd anniversary of the Colombian National Police, in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, November 1, 2024. (AP)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has issued one of his strongest denunciations yet of Israeli actions in Gaza, describing them as a “bloody genocide” and drawing a symbolic comparison to the suffering of Jesus Christ. His remarks came during Holy Week, amplifying the emotional and moral weight of his message.
“At the moment of the Passion and death of Jesus, let us reflect on the Palestinian people, from where he came, now under a bloody genocide,” Petro posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. The timing of the message, delivered as Christians marked Good Friday, struck a powerful chord, merging theological symbolism with political condemnation.
En el momento de la pasión y muerte de Jesús, reflexionemos en el pueblo palestino, de donde era él, ahora bajo un cruento genocidio. https://t.co/2RgqQz5Uc9
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) April 18, 2025
Petro has been a consistent critic of “Israel’s genocidal campaign” in Gaza, repeatedly denouncing the entity for war crimes. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression has now surpassed 51,000.
Holy Week remarks draw parallel with Christ’s suffering
By invoking the imagery of Christ's suffering, Petro linked the plight of the Palestinian people to a moment of profound spiritual reflection. His remarks have drawn both support and criticism, but they underscore his unwavering stance on the Israeli-Palestinian struggle.
Petro’s latest remarks also followed reports on the worsening condition of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent Palestinian physician detained by Israeli occupation forces. Abu Safiya serves as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza and has been held without charge since his abduction earlier this year.
According to his attorney, Gheed Qassem, the doctor was initially detained at Sde Teiman military base for two weeks before being transferred to Ofer detention camp, where hundreds of Palestinians are currently held. “He is suffering greatly, he is exhausted from the torture, the pressure, and the humiliation he has endured to force him to confess to acts he did not commit,” Qassem stated.
The physician’s ordeal has triggered a wave of international support through the #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya campaign. Health organizations, human rights groups, and public figures have rallied in his defense. Among them is World Health Organization Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has publicly called for Abu Safiya’s immediate release.
It has now been 106 days since Israel abducted Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. A pediatrician, a hospital director, a healthcare worker - protected under international law.
— Dallas Duncan (@DallasDuncanMD) April 12, 2025
He is one of hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers illegally detained by Israel.#FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya… https://t.co/EVDafD4LmH
The campaign has further intensified global scrutiny of "Israel’s" treatment of detainees in Gaza and the occupied territories, reinforcing broader concerns about human rights violations.
The wider context
Since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza, Petro has been an unrelenting critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In May 2024, Petro announced Colombia would sever diplomatic ties with "Israel" and open an embassy in Ramallah, declaring that coal exports to the occupation would be suspended “until the genocide stops.”
That same month, he urged the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over what he described as crimes against humanity in Gaza. In June, Petro reinforced his position by halting coal exports to "Israel", escalating Colombia’s diplomatic stance. By September 2024, he publicly branded Netanyahu a “criminal,” and in response to accusations of anti-Semitism, Petro firmly rejected the charge, asserting that true anti-Semitism is found in the murder of Gazan children, not in opposing genocide.
In short, President Gustavo Petro’s bold and unwavering stance against the Israeli war on Gaza has reshaped Colombia’s foreign policy and placed it at the forefront of international calls for accountability.
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