Colombia taps anti-'Israel' rabbi for religious affairs

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
Today 14:59

Gamboa, a self-identified rabbi known for his anti-Zionist stance and vocal condemnation of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, assumes the role shortly after Colombia officially severed diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

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Members of social groups and political organizations march during a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people and against the Israeli war, in Bogota, Colombia, November 29, 2023. (AP)

Colombia appointed Richard Gamboa Ben-Eleazar as head of religious affairs at the Ministry of the Interior following its official severance of diplomatic relations with "Israel".

Gamboa, who describes himself as a rabbi, has been outspoken in his opposition to Zionism and has repeatedly denounced the Israeli entity following its ongoing genocide in Gaza, which killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children.

This appointment comes amid a sharp diplomatic rift between Colombia and "Israel". Tensions escalated after President Gustavo Petro harshly criticized the Israeli war on Gaza.

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.