Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
Representative Mario Díaz-Balart, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, has strongly condemned Colombian President Gustavo Petro's recent anti-Semitic remarks. In a statement, Díaz-Balart expressed his outrage at Petro's comparison of Israel's self-defense actions to the actions of the Nazis.
Díaz-Balart emphasized the importance of affirming Israel's right to self-defense, especially in the wake of the recent terrorist attack on innocent civilians. He called for a clear condemnation of terrorism and expressed solidarity with the people of Israel.
Petro's remarks, according to Díaz-Balart, are particularly abhorrent given the current climate and the suffering of the Jewish people. He quoted Petro's statement, in which the Colombian president compared Israel's actions to the Nazis, saying, "This is what the Nazis said of the Jews." Petro also stated that "no democrat in the world can accept Gaza being turned into a concentration camp."
Díaz-Balart called for an immediate retraction of Petro's statement and an apology. He highlighted the significance of the Holocaust and the suffering of its victims, who are now being compared to terrorists by Petro. He expressed his disappointment at Petro's sympathies seemingly lying with the terrorists rather than their victims.
Furthermore, Díaz-Balart criticized Petro for invoking the horrors of the Holocaust to delegitimize the State of Israel. He emphasized that this is a time for moral clarity and not for drawing false equivalencies. He concluded by stating that Petro's remarks insult the Jewish people and undermine the State of Israel during one of the darkest times in its history.
Díaz-Balart's condemnation of Petro's anti-Semitic remarks highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing such rhetoric. The international community must stand united against all forms of antisemitism and support Israel's right to defend itself.
For additional details, please follow this link: https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/diaz-balart-strongly-condemns-colombian-president-gustavo-petros-anti
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