Colombia’s De La Espriella Recognizes Israeli Sovereignty Over Occupied Golan Heights

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that the government of President Abelardo de la Espriella recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, joining the United States as the only other country to recognize Israel’s annexation of the territory in 1981.

“The Government of Colombia recognises Israeli sovereignty over this territory”

Al Jazeera

The announcement came as the United Nations maintains that the plateau is Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation, and it followed Israel capturing most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War before illegally annexing the territory in 1981.

Al Jazeera

In the Colombian government statement published on X, it said, "The Government of Colombia recognises Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as that State’s right to protect itself against external threats," and it added that maintaining Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is "an essential component of its national defence."

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked his “good friend” de la Espriella for the “historic” recognition and said the pair agreed on the move in the Colombian city of Barranquilla a day before de la Espriella’s inauguration.

Saar framed the recognition as tied to security, writing on X that "Defensible borders are essential to guarantee the continued existence of the Jewish people in our historic homeland," and he thanked de la Espriella for the “historic decision.”

The Inquirer.net account also tied the decision to the timing of Colombia’s transition, saying de la Espriella took power on Friday after a campaign promising tight relations with the US and Israel as a way to combat armed groups in his own country.

Al-Jazeera Net

In contrast, Al Jazeera reported that last month UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that stance, describing Israeli occupation as “totally unacceptable,” and it said the United Nations recognizes the region as a part of Syria.

Al Jazeera further reported that Colombia’s recognition came as Israel expanded its military footprint in Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, including moving troops into a UN-monitored buffer zone and seizing strategic territories such as the Syrian side of Jabal al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon).

The recognition also intersected with Colombia’s domestic and regional diplomacy, with Inquirer.net saying de la Espriella’s predecessor Gustavo Petro had severed diplomatic relations and halted Israeli arms imports after criticizing Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.

“severing diplomatic relations and halting Israeli arms imports”

Inquirer.net

Inquirer.net reported that the US-backed millionaire now in office promised to restore ties and said he planned to open a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem, while noting that this is not recognized internationally and most countries conduct diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv.

Al Jazeera reported that de la Espriella has cancelled Petro’s plans to open an embassy in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and it said the move followed a bombastic campaign promising close relations with the US and Israel.

TeleSUR characterized the Colombian government’s rationale as an attempt to legitimize occupation, quoting the Colombian Foreign Ministry’s thesis that Israel “has faced persistent security challenges of an existential nature along its borders,” and it described the decision as reaffirming support for Israel’s colonial actions.