JUL 9, 2025 JLM 73°F 09:20 PM 02:20 PM EST
Colombian Jews, Christians slam appointment of anti-Israel ‘rabbi’ to top religion post

Richard Gamboa Ben-Eleazar, appointed head of the religions department at the Columbian Interior Ministry, has inveighed on X against “Israeli Nazism” and called for “standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

Evangelical Christians in Colombia joined the country’s Jewish community in criticizing the appointment of an anti-Israel rabbi with dubious credentials as the country’s Director of Religious Affairs.

The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia, Cedecol, which represents more than 7,000 Christian churches in the country, voiced its alarm on Wednesday over the appointment of Richard Gamboa Ben-Eleazar as head the Interior Ministry’s religions department, which was announced last week.

“There are doubts over his legitimacy within his own faith community, as well as his suitability to represent all faiths in an official capacity,” Pastor Lyda Elena Arias, who heads Cedecol, told the Semana newspaper Wednesday.

This was a reference to claims that Gamboa, who would be responsible for allocating funds and coordinating government action with religious institutions in his new post, had purchased his rabbinical degree from the Florida-based Esoteric Theological Seminary, which is not widely recognized as a rabbinical certifier, and which has advertised such degrees for $160.

The Confederation of Jewish Communities of Colombia last week said that the country’s Jewish communities have not received “the necessary guarantees” as to the suitability of Gamboa, who last month inveighed on X against “Israeli Nazism” and called for “standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

Colombia’s tiny Jewish community of about 4,500 people has had a strained relationship with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a left-wing populist who last year broke diplomatic relations with Israel over its war against Hamas in Gaza. The evangelical church’s protest over Gamboa’s appointment, however, could pose more of an issue for the government.  

Gamboa has posted to social media pictures of himself with an anti-Israel rabbi of the Neturei Karta, an anti-Zionist sect whose leaders have maintained friendly relations with Iran.

In a video on X, Gamboa on Tuesday denied that he’d bought the Esoteric Theological Seminary rabbinical certificate. “I did not pay for it,” he said in the video, in which he presented to the camera various diplomas he said he’d received. The other certificate connected to Judaism that Gamboa presented was described by him as a doctorate from the “Hebrew Theological Seminary” in Bolivia. JNS was not able to immediately locate a website or address for this institution.

Gamboa thanked Petro for the appointment and assured the Jewish community “and all other religious communities” that he will “be a voice for all of you.”

Gamboa, 47, has said that he is the son of “secular Sephardic Jews” in Tolima, Colombia, El Pais reported. 

Image - Members of the Jewish Community of Medelllin, Colombia listen to a talk by Israeli diplomats on Nov. 29, 2024. Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel

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Comments
Selina 15:20 13.04.2025
To be anti-Israel is to be anti-Jew & anti-Christian. Israel is our true homeland.
Neil Kay 10:33 13.04.2025
Leftist Jew haters are creating a false structure that they can reference
[Anonymous] 02:10 13.04.2025
How awful that is for all Jewish people
Mike Galarneau 23:17 12.04.2025
To be "Anti Semitic" is RACIST! Period. 🙏🇮🇱🙏🇺🇲🙏
[Anonymous] 17:33 12.04.2025
Antisemitism is not an education. There is no place for such blasphemous behavior in the world. Get them out of here!!!
[Anonymous] 17:31 12.04.2025
Close the school and fire them all!!! Apparently they hopelessly consumed with Islam’s hate and violence. Cut off 100% aid to this antisemitic school of learning hate and violence.
[Anonymous] 14:56 12.04.2025
The anti Semites now turn to anti Semitic individuals who claim to be part of the Jewish community to further hatred of Jews. Thanks to the Christian community of Columbia for their support.
Pete Pala 11:44 12.04.2025
The liberal dems, at BEST change the paintjob or spots to stripes when all along it'd the same beast underneath. It's almost satanic, if not completely.
Bobby Sargel 05:13 12.04.2025
This is the hidden face of the curse of "reform joodaism", a quasi political organisation whose purpose is to create division amongst Jews.
Celisa Seidel 04:09 12.04.2025
That’s a disgrace! How can a Jewish Rabbi be anti-Israel? I’d investigate this so called Rabbi and see who’s behind the appointment-
Iris Longtime 18:09 11.04.2025
💔🙏👑🌎👪🇮🇱✡️♥️✅️🥰
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