Petro: The Voluntary Migration Initiative of Gazans to Colombia

Petro and the Voluntary Migration Initiative of Gazans to Colombia

The anti-Semitic president of Colombia has solved all his problems and is now free to solve the Middle East’s problems. But will he actually accept Gazans into his country as part of the “solidarity between peoples”?

By: Anat Vidor, President of WIZO

Photo credit: Getty Images

There stands a president visiting Gazan children in Qatar, saying: “I looked into their eyes and saw hope,” and you’re sure he’s eager to help the Gazan people. “What’s happening in Gaza is genocide!” anger erupts in his voice, and all signs indicate: finally, someone in the world really cares. But spoiler alert: we’ll soon discover again that Palestinians only interest the world as an excuse to hate Israel, not as people worthy of real help.

“The President” is Colombia’s president (the country, not the university), Gustavo Petro. Since taking office two and a half years ago, this pleasant South American country, home to a vibrant Jewish community, has become a world leader in hatred towards Israel. Petro, a known antisemite since his days as Bogota’s mayor, has put aside all his country’s ailments and challenges to make room for his war against Israel – a tiny country on the other side of the world, whose area is less than 2% of his own country’s.

Immediately after the October 7th massacre, Petro stood alongside Hamas murderers, comparing Israel to Nazis, Gaza to Hiroshima, and Netanyahu and Gallant to “monsters” and “genociders.” “We won’t accept moral lectures from an antisemite. Shame on you,” Netanyahu replied before Colombia severed relations with Israel and joined the case against Israel in The Hague.

This week, while visiting those Gazan children, and after his smooth talk about hope in their eyes, he was photographed holding a picture of Israel with a large key at its center. This key doesn’t symbolize the door to peace, but rather the Arab dream of returning to homes abandoned four generations ago, and in practice: returning to the days before Israel’s establishment, through the expulsion or killing of Jews currently living there.

While Petro raises symbols calling for the murder of Jews and finds hope in Gazan children’s eyes, hope is fading from the eyes of Elkana Bohbot – a Colombian citizen rotting in Hamas tunnels. Bohbot, father to a 4-year-old, lies there sick and wounded, isolated from daylight since being kidnapped from the Nova party. Petro’s conclusion isn’t that Hamas monsters are enemies of all humanity, including Colombian citizens, but exactly the opposite: “His (Elkana’s) release would be a gesture to Colombia and its solidarity with the Palestinian people,” he declared. Meaning: if Israel succeeds in freeing Elkana at painful prices and releasing dozens of murderous terrorists, Petro would see this not as a victory for Israel’s military strength, but for Palestinian humanity and the spirit of brotherhood Palestinians feel towards their Colombian brothers. How delusional can a country’s president be???

Petro thinks he’s clever about Israel. Earlier this month, two planes from the US carrying illegal immigrants knocked on his country’s doors. Petro, with presidential authority and a foolish excuse, ordered the planes not to land and they returned to the US, which led President Trump to describe to Petro in quite some detail what would happen if he persisted in his refusal. It took Petro six hours to adopt a firmly opposite opinion, and he sent his presidential plane to personally import the immigrants back to Colombia.

The pragmatic flexibility Petro demonstrated, together with the solidarity he feels towards Gazans – could have created a sense that Colombia would take action to help Gazans and rescue them from the danger of extinction. Because what’s the problem for South America’s third-largest country by area, with 53 million people – to absorb a small and hopeful people?

But what use are Gazans if they don’t pose a threat to Israel? And Petro, so concerned for their fate, wouldn’t dream of helping to evacuate them from the war zone. What wouldn’t I give to see Petro’s face when President Trump decisively offers to open Colombia’s gates to them, as a deal to realize his views and concern for Gazans. I have a feeling that one generation later, Petro himself and all his people with him – would become passionate Zionists.