Colombia–Israel relations

Colombia–Israel relations
Map indicating locations of Colombia and Israel

Colombia
Israel
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Colombia, JerusalemEmbassy of Israel, Bogotá

Colombia–Israel relations are the diplomatic relations between Colombia and Israel which were officially established on 1 July 1957. As of October 2026, Colombia is the second UN member state to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, and the tenth country to have its embassy in Jerusalem.

General

In an article in the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, Marcos Peckel, a Colombian scholar noted that Colombian-Israeli relations can be looked through the lenses of military cooperation, trade links, education and culture, and recognition of Palestine. Militarily, Colombia was one of the first countries to give Israel weapons and engage in arms deals, which continued as a bilateral agreement. Since then, Israel and Colombia shared intelligence, and as Peckel explains, several pieces of Israeli technology. Trade-wise, both countries had a strong relationship.

The spheres of education and culture between Colombia and Israel are interwoven through Israeli scholarships to Colombians and a presence of media in each country.[citation needed]

Colombia's military has numerous weapon and ammunition types produced and/or maintained by Israel, including the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Spike missile, Israel Weapons Industries-made 5.56mm Galil automatic rifle machine gun and 7.62mm Galil sniper rifle, Rafael Python-3 and Python-4, Israel Aerospace Industries Kfir fighter jets, and has signed up for the Barak MX air defense system.

Colombia has purchased planes, drones, weapons, and intelligence systems from Israel.

History

In 1947, during a United Nations General Assembly session, General Assembly Resolution 181 recommended the partition of British Mandate Palestine into one Jewish and one Arab state Colombia abstained.

In the mid-1950s, both countries officially established diplomatic relations and set up embassies in Bogotá and Tel Aviv respectively. Relations improved in 1988, when major trade agreements[which?] were signed between Israel and Colombia. A Free Trade agreement was signed on 10 June 2013. However, it has not yet been ratified by Colombia and therefore is not yet in force. This agreement reduces tariffs on industrial and agricultural products between the two countries, and enable Israeli companies and individuals to invest with greater ease in the Colombia economy, considered to be second-biggest economy of South America. Israeli exports to Colombia totaled some US$143 million in 2012, and consisted mostly of communications equipment, machinery, electrical and mechanical devices and chemical products.

Colombia supported the aspiration of the Palestinian people to establish themselves as a free and independent state in the region. Additionally, Israel was Colombia's main partner in the region and was Colombia's second-largest trading partner in South America after Brazil. Bilateral relations have deepened through high-level visits in recent history.

On 13 September 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid an official visit to Colombia.

Until 2018, Colombia was one of the few remaining governments in Latin America that did not recognize Palestine as a state.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Colombian President Iván Duque on a state visit to Israel in November 2021. Hosting Duque at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Herzog commended Colombia's support for Israel and expressed his hopes to boost their bilateral trading relationship. At the state dinner, Herzog paid tribute to Duque's leadership in fighting "terror and rogue organizations affiliated with Iran and narco organizations." During the state visit, Duque inaugurated a Colombian innovation office in Jerusalem, a step that President Herzog welcomed in their joint statements.

On 15 October 2023 Israel halted all security exports to Colombia due to remarks of Colombian president Gustavo Petro comparing the Israeli military to Nazis during the Gaza war. The Guardian called it a "ferocious diplomatic spat". Colombia recalled its ambassador from Israel in condemnation of Israel's bombardment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

On 2 May 2024 during the Gaza war, president Gustavo Petro announced Colombia would break diplomatic ties with Israel, describing it as a genocide. In July 2025, Colombia hosted an emergency meeting of the Hague Group, a union of countries formed in January with the aim of holding Israel accountable for its crimes in Palestine.

"Colombia supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel within mutually agreed-upon borders. It considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal but strongly condemns Palestinian terrorism, and it advocates for a lasting peace based on the two-state solution". On resolutions in the UN General Assembly that compared Zionism to racism and wanted to establish a right of return for Palestinians, Colombia abstained.[citation needed] In 2018, Colombia officially recognized the State of Palestine through a declaration by the outgoing administration of Juan Manuel Santos, while the new Colombian president Iván Duque said that he would seek to "maintain the best possible relations with the state of Israel."

On 1 October 2025, in reaction to Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, president Petro expelled all remaining diplomats.

On 7 August 2026, Sa'ar attended the inauguration ceremony of Colombia's President-elect de la Espriella. Ahead of his inauguration ceremony de la Espriella met Sa'ar at his office in Barranquilla.

On 10 August 2026, Colombia became the second country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, after a meeting between the Israeli foreign minister and Colombia's new government. The Israeli foreign minister also stated that he will continue to work for other countries to recognize "Israeli sovereignty" over the territory. The outgoing Colombian president Gustavo Petro apologized for the new governments declaration and stated that Israel had interfered in the Colombian election with software. Petro also stated that Espriella's restoration of ties to Israel "applauds the Gaza genocide". Colombia's recognition was condemned by Syria.

Days later in August 2026, at the request of President Abelardo de la Espriella, Israel immediately sent an 80-person delegation to aid with rescue efforts in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake, representing one of four nations for which Colombia specifically requested such assistance. That same month, Vivian Aisen was appointed as ambassador of Israel to Colombia. Starting 1 September 2026, citizens of Colombia and Israel may travel between the two countries without a visa. On 22 September, the ICJ confirmed that Colombia had withdrawn its support for South Africa's case against Israel. In October, Tania Gilinski was appointed Colombia's ambassador to Israel.

On 14 October 2026, Colombia officially relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the tenth country to do so. The embassy was opened in the Salameh Building on Rabbi Akiva Street. The two countries also re-established a free trade deal.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Peckel, Marcos (2019). "Colombia and Israel: Toward a Special Relationship". Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs. 13 (3): 353–363. doi:10.1080/23739770.2019.1727222. S2CID 216470716.
  2. ↑ Israel suspends defense sales to Colombia, José Higuera, Defense News, 2023-10-19
  3. ↑ "Colombia hostage rescue: the Israeli angle - Haaretz - Israel News". Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "UN General Assembly Resolutions: Resolution 181". Jewish Virtual Library.
  5. ↑ (in Spanish) Israeli embassy in Colombia: Israel and Colombia
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ Fiske, Gavriel (10 June 2013). "Israel, Colombia sign free trade agreement". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Embajada de Colombia en Israel". Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Ahren, Raphael (14 September 2017). "Netanyahu arrives in Colombia, looks to help post-conflict efforts". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "WJC hails Colombia over opposition to Palestinian statehood". The Jerusalem Post. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  11. ↑ Harkov, Lahav (8 November 2021). "Herzog asks Colombian president to crack down on Iran in IAEA". The Jerusalem Post. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  12. ↑ Baruch, Hezki (8 November 2021). "Colombian President seeks to upgrade ties with Israel". Israel National News. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Israel halts security exports to Colombia as president likens IDF to Nazis". The Times of Israel. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Phillips, Tom (16 October 2023). "Israel and Colombia in ferocious diplomatic spat over Hamas war". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "'Genocide', Colombia says as Latin American states condemn Israel over Gaza". Al Jazeera. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  16. ↑ Glatsky, Genevieve (1 May 2024). "Colombia to Sever Ties With Israel Over Gaza War". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  17. ↑ Cobb, Julia Symmes (1 May 2024). "Colombia President Petro says will break diplomatic relations with Israel". Reuters.
  18. ↑ Charner, Flora; Masters, James. "Colombia recognizes Palestine as sovereign state", CNN, August 9, 2018. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Colombia expels Israeli diplomats over Gaza flotilla intercept". The Hindu. AFP. 2 October 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  20. ↑ "Colombia's president-elect meets Israeli foreign minister ahead of inauguration". reutersconnect.com. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Saa'r: Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights 'historic'". Jerusalem News Syndicate. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Colombia reconoce la soberanía de Israel sobre los Altos del Golán". www.cancilleria.gov.co (in Spanish). 10 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Marmol, Sebastian (15 August 2026). "Petro apologises to Arab countries and Muslims as Colombia backs Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights – Doha News". Doha News. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ex-Colombian president: Restoring Israeli ties applauds Gaza genocide". Al Jazeera English. 23 August 2026. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Syria condemns Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over occupied Golan". Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). 11 August 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Davis, Esther (13 August 2026). "Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel to send aid delegation to Colombia after earthquake". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Roitman, Ariella. "Israeli aid delegation arrives in Colombia to assist with post-quake rescue operations", The Jerusalem Post, 14 August 2026. Accessed 14 August 2026. "An Israeli aid delegation landed in Cali, Colombia, on Friday to assist with rescue operations, the Foreign Ministry announced, after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook the country earlier this week. The 80-person delegation includes officials from the IDF, the Defense Ministry, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.... Currently, Colombia has requested rescue teams from only four countries: the US, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Israel."
  28. ↑ "La embajadora". embassies.gov.il (in Spanish). 20 August 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  29. ↑ "Israel y Colombia acuerdan exención mutua de visado". embassies.gov.il (in Spanish). 21 August 2026. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Gómez, Camilo (22 September 2026). "CIJ confirma la salida de Colombia del caso contra Israel por genocidio". El Espectador (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  31. ↑ Mora, Karen (3 October 2026). "Tania Gilinski asumió como nueva embajadora de Colombia ante el Estado de Israel". Diario La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  32. ↑ Coronado, Christian; González, Juan Carlos (14 October 2026). "Oficialmente inaugurada la embajada de Colombia en Jerusalén". Caracol Radio (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  33. ↑ Eichner, Itamar (14 October 2026). "Colombia opens embassy in Jerusalem, marking dramatic diplomatic turnaround after Petro era". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 23 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Colombia opens embassy in Jerusalem, restores free trade deal with Israel". Reuters. 14 October 2026. Retrieved 23 October 2026.