PM: 5 suicide attacks, 30 kidnapping attempts foiled in past year

Over the past year, Israel has foiled five suicide attacks and over 30 kidnapping attempts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Tuesday during a press conference.

Santos was in Israel for an official visit that began Monday.

Netanyahu offered Israel’s know-how and experience in counter-terrorism to Colombia.

“You are, like us, a democracy that fights terrorism. We want to assist you, in every way that we can, given our experience. We’ve had to fight terrorism through many years and through incessant challenges…we’ll gladly put our experience and our expertise at your disposal in our common battle against terrorism,” said Netanyahu.

Colombia has been fighting an armed insurgency led by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC, since 1964.

The Colombian president commended Israel for being “the champions of innovation,” adding that the country could learn many things from Israel.

Later Tuesday, the Colombian president went on to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

On Monday, Israel and Colombia signed a free trade agreement to come into effect by the end of the year.

The document was signed by Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett and Colombian Industry and Tourism Minister Sergio Diaz-Granados, in the presence of President Shimon Peres and Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Bennett said the agreement would open new markets for Israeli products and also “strengthen Israel’s position in Latin America.”