'A Friend of Israel': Colombia's President Pledges to Deepen Ties with Jewish State

JERUSALEM, Israel – Colombian President Ivan Duque is in Israel this week to deepen ties with the Jewish State.

Duque met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem on Monday to kick off his three-day visit. The pair “discussed bilateral cooperation in climate innovation” and regional security challenges, “especially the Iranian threat,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Bennett also thanked the Colombian leader for his country’s decision in Jan. 2020 to designate Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as terror organizations.

"I will mention that we have been doing a great work in security because we value security as a democratic value and the cornerstone of any free society,” said Duque. “But, we also understand that security is a public good so we will continue to work jointly to fight common threats around the world but also to protect our people and to strengthen our cooperation."

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During his visit, Duque will oversee the opening of a trade office in Jerusalem, a move seen by Israel as recognition that the holy city is its capital. Colombia’s embassy is in Tel Aviv.

The president took time on Monday to visit the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem where he laid a wreath for the victims of the Holocaust.

Bennett called Duque a “friend of Israel.”

“I can tell you that I found a friend, a friend of Israel and a personal friend. I want to thank you for your ongoing warmth and friendship to the Jewish people and to the Jewish state,” Bennett told Duque.