Colombia opens embassy in Jerusalem

Colombia inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, joining a small group of countries that have their embassies in a city whose status as Israel's capital is not recognized by most of the international community.

"This is an important date for the State of Israel. It is also an important date for the city of Jerusalem," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said as he signed the embassy's guest book. 

Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula was present. The ceremony included a ribbon-cutting and the unveiling of an official plaque. Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Colombian Ambassador Tania Gilinski also attended.

The move was ordered by Colombia's conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella, an ally of Donald Trump, who moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018.

Almost all countries with diplomatic missions to Israel keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. Only the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Fiji, Nauru and Somaliland have theirs in Jerusalem.

Bula called the inauguration a "concrete step" toward restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries. Colombia cut ties with Israel in 2024 under then-president Gustavo Petro, in protest at Israel's military offensive in Gaza. De la Espriella began restoring them after taking office in June 2026.

The relationship "should never have been interrupted," Bula said. "Israel is a strategic partner, it always has been and will be, now with even more determination and strength," Gilinski said. "This is the beginning of a golden age in relations between our two countries," Saar said.

Last week, Saar said the Democratic Republic of Congo would soon move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem's status is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after capturing the West Bank in the 1967 war, but the United Nations does not recognize the annexation.