Evo Morales Calls Israel a Terrorist State

The Bolivian President Evo Morales this Wednesday condemned the genocide being committed in Gaza and labeled Israel a "terrorist state", after announcing that his government had revoked the visa exemption agreement with Israel,

“This means, in other words, that we are declaring Israel a terrorist state,”, said President Evo Morales, saying the decision was in protest against the violent 23-day attacks on Gaza Strip. According to United Nations reports, over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli offensive, of which over 80 percent were civilians and 300 were children.

The Israeli attacks have also caused injuries to close some 7,000 people. “Israel is not respecting the principles nor the purpose of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations,” he said.

The Bolivian president regretted the “genocide” being committed by the Israeli government against the people of Palestine in Gaza, where the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have destroyed over 3,000 homes, displaced close to 200,000 people and devastated hundreds of schools, refugee shelters and hospitals.

“As a country, as people, he have taken the firm decision to dennounce and revoke the visa agreement of August 17, 1972 with Israel, which was signed by the Bolivian dictatorship and the permitted Israeli citizens to enter Bolivia freely without a visa requirement,” Morales said in Cochabamba, some 210 miles northeast of La Paz, the Bolivian capital.

Morales said the decision was taken with his cabinet members and explained that Israelis will now have to apply for a visa, which will be reviewed by the Bolivian Department of Immigration.

“This means that we are declaring Israel a terrorist State, in other words, we have to take precautions before permitting the entry of Israelis to Bolivia,” he added.

Morales condemned that Israel does not “guarantee the principles of life nor the elementary precepts of rights that govern the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of our international community.

The Bolivian head of state had called on the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights earlier in July to prosecute Israel for “crimes against humanity.”. Morale's announcement was made as the latest Israeli air strike pounded a market near Gaza City, killing 17 people and injuring dozens of others.