Colombia's government under President Abelardo de la Espriella recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights on Monday, making Colombia the second country in the world, after the United States, to recognize Israel's annexation of the territory. The United Nations still considers the area Syrian land under Israeli occupation.
Colombia's Foreign Ministry said in a post on X that the government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty in the area, as well as Israel's right to be protected from external threats.
Golan Heights background
Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 and unilaterally annexed the territory in 1981. Until Bogotá's decision, the United States was the only country that had recognized Israeli sovereignty over that part of the Golan Heights. The United Nations still classifies the region as Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation.
Saar thanks de la Espriella
Israel welcomed the decision by the new Colombian government. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly thanked his "good friend" de la Espriella for recognizing Israeli sovereignty in the region.
Saar had traveled to Colombia on Friday to attend the inauguration of the new president.
A shift toward Israel
The Golan Heights decision marks another sign of the sweeping change that 48-year-old de la Espriella is pursuing in Colombia's foreign policy, particularly toward Israel. The new president has already said he intends to move Colombia's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to fully restore diplomatic relations between the two countries. Relations had been severed under his predecessor, the social democrat Gustavo Petro.
Closer to Israel and the US
Rapprochement with Israel was one of de la Espriella's commitments during his election campaign, when he promised closer ties with both Israel and the United States, a different direction from his predecessor's approach. De la Espriella had the public support of US President Donald Trump during the campaign. Recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is now one of the first, and most symbolic, moves the new government has made in that direction.
