Colombian President Issues Wide-Ranging Policy Directive Targeting Israel

Latest Developments

Petro Government Issues Pro-Palestinian Order: Colombian President Gustavo Petro quietly signed a directive on August 13 that institutionalizes sweeping pro-Palestinian policies across the entire government. The order was formally published in Colombia’s Official Gazette, but Bogotá chose not to publicize news of its signing, refraining from issuing press releases and public statements. The directive is the latest measure targeting Israel issued by Petro, who severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024 and hosted a summit of the so-called “Hague Group” of states in July that urged an arms embargo and legal action against the Jewish state.
‘Make Palestinian Suffering Visible’: The Presidential Directive orders pro-Palestinian reforms and policies across all branches of the government, including the promotion and establishment of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, the promotion of “multilateral diplomacy that makes the suffering of the Palestinian people visible in international forums,” instructions to Colombia’s diplomatic missions to “actively promote UN resolutions related to the status of Palestine, the right of return, the rejection of the occupation, and the illegality of settlements,” and the inclusion of “the history and context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict” in the training agenda of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomatic Academy. Additionally, the directive orders the review and evaluation of both “existing contracts with Israeli companies” and “trade relations with the State of Israel,” as well as the explicit promotion of “trade with Palestine.”
Israeli Defense Firms Banned From Weapons Expo: Colombia recently blocked Israeli defense companies from taking part in one of the region’s major defense expos, Expodefensa 2025, scheduled for December 1-3 in Bogotá. The ban on Israeli firms came after the Petro government suspended weapons purchases from Israel in February 2024 and, months later, severed diplomatic ties with Jerusalem entirely. Bogotá recently announced plans to order Swedish-made Saab Gripen fighter jets to reduce the country’s complete reliance on Israeli-built Kfir warplanes. Additionally, the Colombian military still issues Israeli-designed Galil rifles to its troops.

FDD Expert Response

“Petro shamefully blamed Israel following Hamas’s horrific massacre of nearly 1,200 people and the kidnapping of hundreds of others in October 2023, including Americans and even one of Petro’s own Colombian citizens. His new directive is consistent with that damaging approach. Rather than focusing on cultivating the Isaac Accords, aimed at fostering mutually beneficial economic ties between Israel and Latin America, his directive helps neither Palestinians nor his own people. On the contrary, it signals that his values are not consistent with American values, meaning that the largesse he receives in American foreign aid may not be merited and deserves scrutiny.” — Toby Dershowitz, Managing Director of FDD Action

“The Colombian government has taken significant steps to engage in politically motivated boycotts of Israel. The presidential directive targeting imports and exports from Israel will likely run afoul of U.S. anti-boycott law, which prohibits U.S. companies from doing business with entities engaging in commercial discrimination. With the administration looking to revamp trade policy, Colombia should be concerned that the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) may come under scrutiny because of these actions.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations, FDD Action