Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Israel says Bolivia decision to cut ties ‘a surrender to terrorism, the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran’

By Lazar Berman 1 November 2023, 8:54 am 1 Edit

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Bolivian President Luis Arce speaks during a town hall meeting called by pro-government Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) militants in El Alto, Bolivia, on October 17, 2023. (Aizar Raldes/AFP)

Israel calls Bolivia’s decision to cut ties “a surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran.”

“By taking this step,” tweets ministry spokesman Lior Haiat, “the Bolivian government is aligning itself with the Hamas terrorist organization, which slaughtered over 1,400 Israelis and abducted 240 people, including children, women, babies and the elderly.”

Israel condemns Bolivia’s “support of terrorism,” Haiat continues, saying it attests “to the values the government of Bolivia represents.”

He adds that bilateral relations have been “devoid of content” anyway since the current government came into power.