Israel bars Colombian FM from Ramallah
Foreign Ministry nixed entry because Maria Angela Holguin wouldn’t see Liberman; she met Palestinian FM in Amman instead, upgraded PA delegates to ‘diplomatic mission’
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The Foreign Ministry barred the Colombian foreign minister from entering the West Bank to meet with her Palestinian counterpart last week, after the Latin American envoy refused to set up a meeting with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman during her visit.
After her entry request was denied, Colombian FM Maria Angela Holguin met with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Amman, Jordan, on November 10.
A day later, the Colombian government upgraded the status of the Palestinian delegation to the Latin American country to a diplomatic mission, according to the PA’s official Wafa news agency.
According to Haaretz, the decision to bar the foreign minister from the West Bank came amid fears that the move would set a precedent for other countries seeking to visit the Palestinians exclusively and bypassing Israel.
Following the withdrawal of Holguin’s request, Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said that “in light of scheduling restraints the minister decided not to visit the Palestinian Authority and Israel during her current trip.”
“Colombia is one of Israel’s central allies in Latin America,” he added. “The friendly relations between the states allows for fruitful and versatile cooperation. Israel maintains continuous diplomatic dialogue with the Colombian government, which culminated in the latest visit by [Colombian] President [Juan Manuel] Santos to Israel last year.”
The Times of Israel Community.