Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, in the House Appropriations Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Colombia Caucus, issued the following statement strongly condemning Colombian President Gustavo Petro's antisemitic comments:
"At a time when Israel is recovering from a heinous attack against innocent men, women, children, and the elderly, it is crucial that the world unequivocally affirm Israel's right to self-defense, condemn terrorism, and express solidarity with the people of Israel.
That is why it is particularly abhorrent when a 'leader' like Colombian President Gustavo Petro compares Israel's self-defense to the abominable actions of the Nazis, stating, 'This is what the Nazis said about the Jews.' In reference to Israel, he further claimed that 'democratic nations cannot allow Nazism to be reestablished in international politics' and that 'no democrat in the world can accept Gaza becoming a concentration camp.' When the Israeli ambassador in Colombia invited Petro to the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem and the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, Petro responded by saying they were being 'copied in Gaza.'
This blatant antisemitic statement should be immediately retracted with an apology. The Holocaust survivors, who firsthand experienced the evils of the Nazis and the depths of human depravity, were also victims of Hamas terrorists on October 7th. And the Jewish people are now enduring heinous acts of antisemitism, even in Colombia, partly due to ignorant comments like these.
This should be a moment of moral clarity, not a time for false equivalences to justify an unjustifiable position. It is shameful that the sympathies of the Colombian president seem to align more with terrorists than with their victims, and that he further insults the Jewish people by casually invoking the horrors of the Holocaust to delegitimize the State of Israel during one of its darkest moments in its 75-year history."
The remarks by Congressman Díaz-Balart highlight the strong condemnation of President Petro's comments, which equated Israel's self-defense measures with the actions of the Nazis. Díaz-Balart emphasizes the need for the world to affirm Israel's right to defend itself and expresses solidarity with the Israeli people. He also calls for an immediate retraction and apology from President Petro for his antisemitic remarks.
Díaz-Balart points out that the Holocaust survivors, who suffered under the Nazis, were also victims of Hamas terrorists. He highlights the rise of antisemitism, even in Colombia, and attributes it in part to comments like those made by President Petro.
The Congressman concludes by criticizing President Petro for attempting to delegitimize the State of Israel and aligning himself with terrorists. He describes Petro's invocation of the Holocaust as a casual and frivolous insult to the Jewish people.
This condemnation from Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart underscores the importance of rejecting antisemitism and standing in solidarity with Israel during this critical time.
Click this link to access more information: https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/diaz-balart-condena-energicamente-los-comentarios-antisemitas-del
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