Colombia to Open Embassy in Jerusalem Next Week, Says Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has announced that Colombia will open its embassy in Jerusalem next week, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations despite ongoing Palestinian claims to the city.

Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem on Thursday, Gideon Saar highlighted the expanding diplomatic ties with Latin America. An official at the Colombian Foreign Ministry in Bogota confirmed that Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar will travel to Jerusalem on Sunday ahead of the inauguration.

Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella, who assumed office in August, pledged to foster close relations with Israel during his election campaign and subsequently restored diplomatic ties that had been severed over the conflict in Gaza.

With this move, Colombia joins a small group of nations—including the US, Guatemala, Paraguay, Kosovo, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, and Somaliland—that have established embassies in Jerusalem, while the majority of the international community maintains diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv.

Gideon Saar also hinted at future developments, stating that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will open its embassy in Jerusalem very soon and suggesting that Brazil might follow suit following recent political results involving right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.

Meanwhile, the decision has drawn domestic opposition, with protesters taking to the streets of Bogota on Wednesday to voice their disapproval of the new far-right government's policy towards Israel.