South America Turns Right — And Pro-Zionist

As some American politicians turn their backs on Zionism, newly-elected right wing Latin American leaders tighten relations with Israel, including by relocating embassies to the heart of Zion, Jerusalem. Beyond recognition of the Jewish state’s capital, at least one new Latin leader, President Abelardo de la Espriella of Colombia, is joining America in affirming Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He is also breaking with countries that accuse the Jewish of committing “genocide.” Sergio Shmuel Serchensky emigrated to Israel from Argentina. His son, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, grew up with Latin culture. Mr. Sa’ar now seems to have zeroed in on ties with the Spanish-speaking western hemisphere, as Israel seeks to widen global support. Mr. Sa’ar spent early August in visits to Ecuador and Colombia. At Bogota he attended Mr. Espriella’s inauguration, a move that seemed to yield some bold measures that put Colombia at the forefront of South America’s pro-Israel camp.After years of economic stagnation, rising crime, and border insecurities Latin America is undergoing a political shift to the right. A new crop of conservative presidents — Chile’s José Antonio Kast, Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, and Mr. Espriella — seek to repair Israel ties and turn away from relations with Iran and its proxies.President Javier Milei of Argentina is leading the charge. He has cultivated spiritual ties with Chabad-Lubavitch, a major supporter of the Zionist ideal of a Jewish state in Israel. Mr. Milei often visits Israel, prays at the Western Wall, and maintains warm relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Now others are following his step. “In Latin America politics is very much black or white,” the founder of Israel’s Oz party, the author Einat Wilf, tells I-24. “You will have one side which will be very anti-Israel, but the other side, when it gets elected, is often very pro-Israel, and we see also the rise of evangelical Christianity in Latin America. That also has a lot of impact on having pro-Israel parties.”This week Mr. Espriella fully restored Colombia’s ties with Israel, which were severed by his left wing predecessor, Gustavo Petro. The new foreign ministry at Bogota announced its intention to move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem. The vast majority of foreign embassies in Israel are located at Tel Aviv, snubbing the country’s capital. America relocated its embassy to Jerusalem during President Trump’s first term. Of the handful of other countries that have relocated to Jerusalem, Latin America is well represented. Guatemala and Honduras have such embassies. The conservative President Santiago Peña of Paraguay returned the country’s embassy to Jerusalem, after his leftist predecessor, Mario Abdo Benitez, moved it to Tel Aviv in 2018.One of Israel’s former worst South American enemies, Venezuela, announced this week it would start restoring relations with the Jewish state — 17 years after President Hugo Chavez cut them off. Chavez, whose successor, Nicolás Maduro, is now awaiting trial in a New York prison, allied himself with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah. His former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, is now acting president, and is making decisions under constant pressure from the Israel-allied Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Colombia’s Mr. Petro, a former member of the terrorist organization M-19, kept intimate ties with the anti-American Chavez-Castro axis. Mr. Espriella, in contrast, is eager to repair relations with Washington — and Israel. Since his early August inauguration he reversed Bogotá’s Mideast politics that were anchored in hostility to Israel. Now Mr. Espriella is becoming the first world leader, other than Mr. Trump, to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan heights. Mr. Espriella has “proven, in one of his first decisions in office, his leadership, his values, and his commitment to Israel,” Mr. Sa’ar wrote on X this week. “Israel is a small country without strategic depth. Defensible borders are essential for it to ensure the existence of the Jewish people in its historic homeland.”In yet another act, Mr. Espriella removed Colombia’s support of South Africa’s motion at the International Court of Justice to declare Israel guilty of violating the Genocide Convention. Jerusalem foreign ministry sources say they hope the move would help other Latin American countries to change a pattern of anti Israel votes at the United Nations and other international institutions. It’s a “wise policy to take advantage of all the changes that are happening in Latin America,” Ms. Wilf said.Correction: Nicolás Maduro is the former Venezuelan leader in jail awaiting trial. An earlier version misstated his name.

South America Turns Right — And Pro-Zionist

South America Turns Right — And Pro-Zionist

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