Colombia breaks diplomatic relations with Israel

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and announced that his government will end diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday. But he did not elaborate on what impact his decision could have on the Colombian military, which uses Israeli-built fighter jets and machine guns to fight drug cartels and rebel groups, and on a free trade deal between the two countries that came into effect in 2020.

Also in the region, Bolivia and Belize have severed diplomatic relations with Israel due to the war between Israel and Hamas.

Here’s a look at Colombia’s close ties and consequences with Israel:

Colombia and Israel have signed dozens of agreements on a range of issues since establishing diplomatic relations in 1957, including education and trade. But nothing binds them more closely than military contracts.

Colombia’s fighter jets are all Israeli-made. The more than two dozen Israeli-made fighter jets were used by the air force in numerous attacks on remote guerrilla camps, weakening Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces. The attacks helped push the rebel group into peace talks that resulted in their disarmament in 2016.

But the fleet, purchased in the late 1980s, is aging and requires maintenance that can only be carried out by an Israeli company. Manufacturers in France, Sweden and the United States have approached the Colombian government with replacement options, but Petro’s government’s spending priorities lie elsewhere.

The Colombian military also uses Galil rifles, which were designed in Israel and for which Colombia has acquired the production and sales rights. Israel is also helping the South American country with its cybersecurity needs.