Colombia has recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a diplomatic shift that strengthens Israel’s position on territory it considers essential to defending its northern frontier.
The Foreign Ministry said regional instability, the Golan’s strategic importance and sustained threats against Israel on all its borders informed the decision. It said those threats intensified after the October 7 attack and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against external threats.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the decision historic after meeting Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella in Barranquilla. He also thanked Foreign Minister Omar Bula.
The move follows a wider reset in bilateral relations under de la Espriella’s government. Colombia and Israel agreed to restore full diplomatic and economic ties, appoint ambassadors, remove visa requirements, move Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem and revive their free-trade relationship.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and applied its law and administration there in 1981. Its territorial status remains internationally disputed.
