After the rift in the Petro era: Colombia's embassy opens in Jerusalem

Colombia's embassy in Jerusalem opened in a festive ceremony attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Colombian counterpart, Omar Bula Escobar. The opening marks a shift in the foreign policy of the new president, De la Espriella, who reversed the policy of his predecessor Petro, who severed ties with Israel over the war in Gaza.

Colombia's embassy in Jerusalem opened today (Wednesday) in a festive ceremony attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Colombian counterpart, Omar Bula Escobar, who arrived in Israel especially for the event. The opening takes place about two months after the originally scheduled date of August 7, the inauguration day of President Abelardo De la Espriella. Colombia is the tenth country to operate an embassy in the capital. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post last week, Sa'ar said that when he took office, five embassies operated in Jerusalem, and with the opening of the Colombian embassy, their number would reach ten. He also said that Israel had reached an agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to open the eleventh embassy in the city. The opening is part of an agreement between Sa'ar, De la Espriella, and Bula, whereby relations between the countries would be fully renewed after they took office in August. During Sa'ar's visit to Colombia for the new president's inauguration, Colombia recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and agreed to withdraw from the South African lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Additionally, the mutual visa requirement was canceled. The government approved the appointment of Vivian Eisen as Israel's ambassador to Colombia. The previous president, Gustavo Petro, unilaterally severed ties with Israel in May 2024 over the war in Gaza and banned coal exports to Israel. During his tenure, the opening of a Colombian embassy in 'Palestine' was also promoted, but after his election, De la Espriella announced the cancellation of the move.