Colombia has opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, becoming one of a small group of countries to back Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the contested city. The inauguration took place on Wednesday, and Palestinian officials quickly denounced it.
The opening came as Israel faces mounting international pressure over its war on Gaza, where three years of attacks have killed more than 74,000 people. The move marks a sharp shift by the administration of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August. His left-wing predecessor, Gustavo Petro, severed ties with Israel in 2024 over the war.
Colombia restores trade and diplomatic ties with Israel
De la Espriella has also restored a free trade agreement between Israel and Colombia that Petro had terminated. Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar said on Wednesday that relations between the two countries “should never have been broken”. He added that Bogota was taking “a concrete step towards restoring diplomatic relations”.
Speaking at the ceremony, Bula Escobar described Israel as a strategic partner that would become an even stronger one. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the move and signed the embassy’s guest book, calling it an important date for both the State of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Colombian Ambassador Tania Gilinski said Israel had always been a strategic partner and would be treated with even greater determination and strength.
Palestinian and Jordanian authorities condemn the embassy move
The Palestinian Authority condemned the move as a violation of international legitimacy resolutions that undermines the international consensus on the legal status of the holy city. Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also criticised the decision as a violation of international law and relevant international resolutions.
The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core unresolved issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel claims the undivided city as its capital, while Palestinians view occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Israel occupied and annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, a move the vast majority of the international community does not recognise.
Few countries follow the US embassy move to Jerusalem
US President Donald Trump moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, during his first term, angering Palestinians and sparking international condemnation. Previous US presidents and nearly every other country had kept their embassies out of Jerusalem, arguing that its final status should first be resolved in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Colombia is the 10th country to establish its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, while most countries keep their formal missions in Tel Aviv. Since Trump’s move, only a handful of small, US-aligned countries have followed suit:
- Fiji
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Nauru
Kosovo and Somaliland, which are not United Nations member states, have also opened what they consider their embassies in Jerusalem.
