In rare move, Israel denies Colombian foreign minister entry to Ramallah

MFA said Colombia's top diplomat can only visit the Palestinian Authority if she also visits Jerusalem, out of fear the trip would set a precedent for foreign dignitaries.

By Barak Ravid | Nov. 14, 2014 | 3:44 PM

Israel denied this week a request by Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin to visit Ramallah.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry in Bogota, Israel would only permit Holguin to visit Ramallah if she agreed to visit Jerusalem on the same visit to the region. A senior official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the matter, stating that the directive was ordered by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

It is highly unusual for the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem to give such a directive, and it appears that the move was made in an effort to harden its policy with regards to visits by foreign ministers to the Palestinian Authority, which are normally carried out without any difficulty.

Differences of opinion over Holguin's visit to Ramallah led to a diplomatic incident that caused tensions between Israel and Colombia, which is considered a central Israeli ally in Latin America. Colombia is one of the last two countries in Latin America that has not recognized Palestine as a state. The second country is Panama, another of Israel's allies. Israel and Colombia have ties in economic, diplomatic and security areas.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.626469