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A former Israeli intelligence officer was the target of an assassination plot by Hezbollah while he was in Colombia, it has been reported.
The ex-operative, who had previously worked with a team of diplomats in the country, was apparently warned about the plan by the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency.
Members of the Hezbollah are also said to have spied on a number of other notable officials in the South American country, although further details about the identities of the individuals have not been revealed.
The plot, which also targeted US citizens, was reportedly organized to avenge the January 2020 killing of Iranian al-Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani.
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano said that two members of the Lebanon-based Iranian proxy were arrested two months ago before being deported for conspiring to carry out a “criminal act.”
Bogota is reported to have grown increasingly concerned about the presence of the terrorist organization in the country.
“For us, Hezbollah is a terrorist group,” the country’s President Ivan Duque told local media, adding: “Where we see Hezbollah activities in our territory we act fast and strong, and in fact, we have captured members who are allegedly working for Hezbollah, seeking targets for terrorist acts in our country.”
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Michael Herzog has officially begun his tenure as Israeli Ambassador to the United States, replacing Gilad Erdan, who will continue in his role as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
Herzog, 69, is the older brother of President Isaac Herzog and previously had a long career in the IDF. He has also served as a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and as an adviser and chief of staff to a number of defense ministers.
“Bipartisan support for Israel is a fundamental component of our relations with the United States, and I intend to work with both Democrats and Republicans to keep Israel a nonpartisan issue,” Herzog said in reference to his new role.
“I would like to thank the embassy staff for their devoted work in fostering these relations, and I look forward to working with the embassy’s diplomats to strengthen and deepen the relations between Israel and the United States.”
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The United States wants to see more countries normalize diplomatic ties with Israel under the auspices of the Abraham Accords, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Monday during her first visit to the Jewish state.
Thomas-Greenfield held talks with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in which the two discussed expanding on the historic agreement, which was brokered under the administration of former president Donald Trump.
“Encouraged to hear about the tangible progress of the Abraham Accords during my meeting with [Lapid]. The United States will continue to encourage countries in the region to normalize relations and expand cooperation with Israel, including at the UN,” Thomas-Greenfield tweeted afterward.
I was happy to host @USAmbUN today. She’s a true friend who fights shoulder-to-shoulder with us in one of the more complex arenas in the international community. Our friendship is based not only on mutual interests, but on shared values and a shared worldview. ©️אסי אפרתי לע״מ pic.twitter.com/3dEZFn5Xlq
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid🟠 (@yairlapid) November 15, 2021
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also warned the ambassador that there is a disconnect “between the reality in Israel and what is heard about us in the corridors of the UN,” while thanking her for presenting “fairness and reason in an institution that we both can say objectively is biased against Israel.”
Thomas-Greenfield is expected to visit the borders Israel shares with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and then Lebanon on Tuesday as part of a tour arranged by IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Herzy Halevy.
She is also scheduled to travel to Ramallah in the West Bank and the Jordanian capital, Amman.
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Benny Gantz will become the first Israeli defense minister to make an official visit to Morocco when he travels there next week to sign a memorandum that sets out agreements between the two countries on security issues.
While there, he is also expected to hold talks with the Moroccan ministers of defense and foreign affairs.
Gantz’s trip comes just over three months after Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited the country to open Israel’s first diplomatic office based in Morocco and to sign a number of cooperation pacts. Jerusalem and Rabat normalized ties last year under the Abraham Accords.
In addition to Morocco, the Abraham Accords also saw Israel establish relations with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.
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