World

Colombia to Open Embassy in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Announces

By Al Jazeera Staff

Colombia will open an embassy in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Thursday, marking the country as the latest to establish a diplomatic mission in the disputed city. Most nations keep their Israeli embassies in Tel Aviv. Saar said the Colombian embassy would open next week, stating, “Next Wednesday, we are going to inaugurate … the Colombian embassy,” during a conference in Jerusalem. An official from the Colombian Foreign Ministry in Bogotá told AFP that Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar would travel to Jerusalem on Sunday ahead of the opening. Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella, sworn in in August, had pledged close ties with Israel during his campaign and restored diplomatic relations after they were severed over Israel’s war in Gaza. The announcement follows a growing list of countries that have chosen Jerusalem for their diplomatic missions, including the United States, Guatemala, Paraguay, Kosovo, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru and Somaliland. Saar dismissed Palestinian claims to the city, saying, “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 also mentioned that the Democratic Republic of the Congo would open its embassy in Jerusalem “very soon” and hinted at another potential opening, noting that Brazil’s recent election results might influence similar moves. In Bogotá, protesters opposed the new far‑right government’s policy toward Israel, including the decision to open the Jerusalem embassy. “When diplomatic relations with Israel were broken off, the message was that we would not be a nation complicit in their atrocities,” said protester Nicolas Isaza to Al Jazeera. “Today our government is no longer drawing a line against the atrocities being committed in Palestine,” he added.