From Turkey to Bahrain: A List of Countries That Have Recalled Ambassadors from Israel | EXPLAINED

Turkey became the latest country to recall its ambassador to Israel and break off contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and refusal to call for a ceasefire in the conflict.

The Turkish foreign ministry said ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar was being recalled for consultations “in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel’s refusal (to accept) a ceasefire”.

Ankara has hardened its tone against both Israel and its Western supporters, especially the United States, as the fighting escalated and the death toll among Palestinian civilians soared. The two countries had only last year agreed to reappoint ambassadors after a decade of all but frozen ties.

The Israel-Hamas war continues for a month as Israeli forces have encircled Gaza’s largest city while trying to crush Hamas in retaliation for October 7 raids into Israel that killed around 1,400 people.

Amid the ongoing conflict, a number of countries have recalled their ambassadors to Israel. Here’s a list of countries:

1. Bolivia: Bolivia became the first in Latin America to cut ties with Israel since a divisive conflict erupted following attacks by Hamas on October 7 which Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
2. Honduras: Honduras on Friday recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations on what it described as the “serious humanitarian situation” facing Palestinians in Gaza. “In the face of the serious humanitarian situation suffered by the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip, the government” has called envoy Roberto Martinez to Tegucigalpa “for consultations,” foreign minister Enrique Reina said on X.
3. Bahrain: Bahrain announced on Thursday that the country is halting of economic ties with Israel and recalled its ambassador over the Israel-Hamas war. Israel’s foreign ministry said it had not been notified of any decision by Bahrain, a US ally which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.
4. Chile: Chile’s government on October 31 recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations after what it described as Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law stemming from its recent military attacks on the Gaza Strip. Chile further said Israel’s operations amounted to “collective punishment” of Gaza’s Palestinian civilian population.
5. Colombia: Colombia on October 31 recalled its ambassador to Israel as President Gustavo Petro warned that his country would break off diplomatic relations if Israeli forces did not stop attacking civilians in the Gaza Strip. Petro was among the first world leaders to condemn the attacks by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
6. Jordan: Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has said the Jordanian ambassador to Israel would only return to Tel Aviv if the country halted its war and accused Israel of “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”.

Saudi, UAE pauses normalisation talks

Saudi Arabia has suspended talks on potentially normalising ties with Israel as the war raged between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The normalisation talks, brokered by the United States, was one of the ambitious projects of President Joe Biden to normalise the Middle East and explore trade in the subcontinent.

Saudi Arabia has never recognised Israel and did not join the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords that saw its Gulf neighbours Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as well as Morocco establish formal ties with Israel.

The UAE, along with Morocco and Sudan, broke with the long-standing Arab consensus to normalise relations with Israel in 2020. However, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said that Middle East powers should maintain their push to de-escalate the region through trade and economic ties despite the Israel-Hamas war.