Colombia's foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva Duran.   Photo: Getty Images

Bogota, October 16 (RHC)-- Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva Duran on Monday urged Israel's ambassador in Bogota, Gali Dagan, to "apologize and leave" the South American country, for the "senseless ludicrousness" he has shown after his remarks against Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

"The history of universal diplomacy will record as a milestone the senseless loutishness of the ambassador of Israel in Colombia towards Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic," said the Colombian foreign minister through the social network X, formerly Twitter.

Leyva also said that Dagan should be "ashamed" and as a "minimum", to make amends for his sayings, he should "apologize and leave."  "Intelligence is met with intelligence.  There are States at stake", added the Colombian diplomat on the actions of the Israeli spokesman.

The Colombian foreign minister added that President Petro "is respected" and that his actions as "author of the Total Peace Doctrine", both for Colombia and the world, cannot be destroyed "with insolence or intellectual filth."  Furthermore, he indicated that those who do this are wrong.

"No one sensible can applaud the scorched earth policy, no matter where it comes from.  It violates the dignity of the human person.  It kills innocents.  Petro's Total Peace Doctrine is based on the duty of universal justice: Total Peace as Synthesis Law," Leyva added.

The top Colombian diplomat added that at this moment, when the conflict in the Gaza Strip has intensified, "the world seeks a definitive solution for Israel and Palestine based on a historical vision" and the path of peace.

On Sunday, the Israeli ambassador described President Petro's statements regarding the conflict in Gaza as "hostile", "anti-Semitic" and contrary to the "State of Israel."  According to Dagan, the Colombian president's opinions "reflect support for the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists, fuel anti-Semitism, affect the representatives of the State of Israel and threaten the peace of the Jewish community in Colombia."

For this reason, the Israeli official commented that they decided to paralyze exports of security supplies to Colombia, and that by instruction of his Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, and the Deputy Director General for Latin America in the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Jonathan Peled, the Colombian Ambassador to Israel, Margarita Manjarrez, was summoned for "a conversation of reprimand."

In response, Petro expressed that his government does not support "genocides" and that if it were necessary to suspend relations with Israel, it would do so.  In addition, he warned that "the president of Colombia is not insulted" and asked Latin American countries to show "real solidarity with his country."