Israel Matzav

Friends for a rainy day

Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Calderon is visiting Israel.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated that the visit will focus on “the good bilateral relationship between the two countries and cooperation in the fields of security and technology.” Israel is a prime exporter of weaponry to Columbia.

Vice President Calderon will also visit the Colombian regiment stationed with the Multi-National Force in Sinai.

Two factors make this visit special. Here's the first one.

Colombia represents an important support element in Latin America for Israel, especially in light of the anti-Israel line led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the breaking-off of diplomatic relations with Venezuela and Bolivia after Operation Cast Lead.

And because Colombia, like Israel, Honduras, Britain, South Korea and Japan has been abandoned by the United States in favor of friendly relations with Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua and 'engagement' with Iran, Syria and North Korea.

And the second special thing about this visit.

Vice President Calderon began his career as a journalist, first as a reporter and later as editor of the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. In 1990, he was abducted, together with the daughter of former Colombian president Julio César Turbay, by the Medellin drug cartel, and held for eight months until his release. President Turbay's daughter was murdered after an unsuccessful attempt to rescue her.

Calderon has a close connection with the Turbay family. They are of Lebanese origin and pro-Israeli. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, this was Calderon’s prime reason for visiting that country. After his abduction, Calderon established a non-governmental organization focused on increasing the awareness of the suffering of terror victims and their families.

Calderon appreciates our predicament as well as anyone in the 'international community.'

Some of you may also recall that Israel played a small role last year in obtaining the release of Ingrid Betancourt, a French hostage held by FARC rebels in Colombia.

Given the abandonment of Israel by the United States, we are lucky to have friends who are as in-tune with us as Colombia.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:23 AM