Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday unequivocally stated that Colombia will not recognize Palestine as a state as a “matter of principle,” unless an agreement is reached with Israel.
In a meeting with a joint high level delegation of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the Latin American Jewish congress in Bogota on Wednesday, Santos reaffirmed the government’s position on this issue, allaying Israeli fears that Colombia will be pressured to join the ranks of other Latin American countries who have recently recognized the yet to be established Arab state.
Santos emphasized that the only path to peace in the Middle East was through direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine. The speech was warmly received by the delegation. A tacit understanding that Bogota will oppose the Iranian regime’s influence on the region was also reached.