Colombia to Open Embassy in Jerusalem as Israel Touts Growing Diplomatic Shift

Israel's foreign minister announced Thursday that Colombia will inaugurate an embassy in Jerusalem next week, making the South American nation the latest country to base its diplomatic mission in the contested city. The move represents a significant break from the longstanding international consensus that has kept most embassies in Tel Aviv.

Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar confirmed the timing of the opening. "Next Wednesday, we are going to inaugurate … the Colombian embassy," he told attendees. The announcement was later echoed through Israeli diplomatic channels and reported by international news agencies.

A Colombian Foreign Ministry official in Bogota told the AFP news agency that Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar would travel to Jerusalem on Sunday, ahead of the scheduled inauguration. The advance visit underscores the significance Bogota places on the diplomatic shift, which marks a dramatic reversal of the country's previous position.

The decision follows the electoral victory of Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella, who was sworn into office in August. During his campaign, De la Espriella had openly promised to strengthen ties with Israel, and upon taking office he moved to restore diplomatic relations that had been severed by his predecessor. Colombia had previously cut ties with Israel in protest over its military campaign in Gaza, which critics have described as genocidal.

The embassy announcement drew swift reaction on the streets of Bogota, where protesters rallied Wednesday against the new far-right government's policy toward Israel. Demonstrators specifically cited the Jerusalem embassy decision as a symbol of what they view as a dangerous alignment with Israeli policies.

Nicolas Isaza, one of the protesters, told Al Jazeera that the previous severing of diplomatic relations had carried important moral weight. "When diplomatic relations with Israel were broken off, the message was that we would not be a nation complicit in their atrocities," he said. "Today our government is no longer drawing a line against the atrocities being committed in Palestine."

The development places Colombia among a small but expanding group of nations that have chosen to locate their embassies in Jerusalem. Since 2018, the United States, Guatemala, Paraguay, Kosovo, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, and Somaliland have all opened embassies in the city. Somaliland is recognized as an independent entity only by Israel, making its inclusion in the list particularly contentious.

The vast majority of countries maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel continue to base their embassies in Tel Aviv, reflecting the international community's longstanding position that Jerusalem's final status must be determined through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Both sides claim the city as their capital, and the issue remains one of the most sensitive in the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Saar used the occasion to frame the diplomatic battle in stark terms, dismissing Palestinian claims to the city. "We will work hard because this is the diplomatic battle over the truth. And the truth is, Jerusalem was always the capital of one nation," he said. The statement reflects the Israeli government's broader efforts to normalize Jerusalem as its capital in the eyes of the international community.

The Israeli foreign minister also indicated that more countries could soon follow Colombia's lead. He said the Democratic Republic of the Congo would open its embassy in Jerusalem "very soon," and hinted at additional openings on the horizon. "I think that with the possible results in Brazil, they might have the same move," Saar added, referencing right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's strong showing in the first round of Brazil's presidential election.

The timing of the announcement is notable, coming as Israel continues to face international criticism over its military operations in Gaza. The decision by Colombia's new government to restore and deepen ties with Israel represents a significant diplomatic victory for Jerusalem, particularly in Latin America, where several governments have taken critical stances against Israeli policies.

For Colombia, the embassy move carries domestic political implications. The country's new leadership has positioned itself as a close ally of Israel, reversing years of policy under the previous administration. The protests in Bogota suggest that this shift is not universally welcomed, with segments of Colombian society viewing it as a betrayal of the country's previous moral stance.

Analysts note that the growing list of countries moving embassies to Jerusalem, while still small compared to those maintaining missions in Tel Aviv, represents a gradual erosion of the international consensus on the city's status. Each new embassy opening provides Israel with diplomatic cover and reinforces its narrative that Jerusalem is and will remain its undivided capital.

The Palestinian Authority has consistently opposed such moves, viewing them as unilateral actions that prejudge the outcome of final-status negotiations. Palestinian officials argue that the international community's recognition of East Jerusalem as occupied territory remains the legal and moral foundation for any future peace agreement.

As Colombia prepares to formally open its embassy next week, the event will likely draw attention from both supporters and critics of the move. The presence of Foreign Minister Bula Escobar in Jerusalem on Sunday signals the seriousness with which Bogota is approaching the diplomatic reset, and the inauguration itself will be closely watched as a bellwether for broader regional trends.

The embassy opening also raises questions about the future trajectory of Colombia-Israel relations, including potential cooperation on security, technology, and trade. The new government's enthusiasm for closer ties suggests that the relationship could expand rapidly beyond diplomatic symbolism, though domestic opposition may complicate the pace of such developments.

For now, the announcement cements Colombia's place in a select group of nations willing to defy international norms by locating their embassies in Jerusalem. Whether this represents the beginning of a larger wave or remains a limited phenomenon will depend on political developments in other countries, particularly Brazil, where a potential right-wing victory could add another significant embassy to the list.