Bogotá backs Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights, making Colombia the second foreign country to recognize Israel’s annexation of the strategic plateau.By David Rosenberg, World Israel NewsColombia has formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, becoming only the second United Nations member state after the US to recognize Israel’s claim to the strategically important territory.Colombia’s Foreign Ministry announced the decision Monday, just days after President Abelardo de la Espriella took office and as his new government moves rapidly to rebuild relations with Israel following more than two years of strained ties under former president Gustavo Petro.“Given the continuing regional instability in the Middle East, and considering the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel’s security, the Government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as the right of the State of Israel to defend itself against external threats,” the ministry said.The Colombian government explicitly tied the decision to Israel’s security situation, pointing to decades of threats along the country’s borders and the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led terrorist attacks.“For decades, Israel has faced persistent and existential security threats along its borders,” the statement said.“These threats have intensified significantly in recent years and culminated in the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7, which demonstrated the severity and changing nature of the threats faced by the people of Israel.”Bogotá said the strategic geography of the Golan made Israeli control of the plateau central to the country’s defense.“Against the backdrop of this regional security reality, Colombia recognizes that Israel’s continued control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect its citizens and safeguard their security,” the statement said.“With this decision, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to promoting a stable and lasting peace in the Middle East.”The Colombian Foreign Ministry said the declaration was issued in accordance with a commitment reached between Colombia and Israel on Saturday, August 8.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the announcement, thanking de la Espriella for what he described as a “historic decision” and saying the move demonstrated the new Colombian president’s commitment to Israel and its security.Sa’ar met with de la Espriella in Barranquilla on August 6, one day before the president’s inauguration, during a visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic, security and economic cooperation between the countries.“Israel is a small country without strategic depth,” Sa’ar said in response to the recognition, arguing that defensible borders are critical to the country’s long-term security. He said he would work to persuade additional governments to join Colombia and the US in recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan.The decision represents one of the most significant foreign-policy moves made by de la Espriella since taking office on August 7 and marks a sharp reversal from the policies of his predecessor.Petro severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024 during the war in Gaza.Ahead of de la Espriella’s inauguration, however, Israeli and Colombian officials agreed on a broad package of measures to restore relations, including the immediate exchange of ambassadors, removal of visa requirements between the countries and Colombia’s planned relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem.The two sides also agreed to restore Colombian coal exports to Israel and for Colombia to withdraw from South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and from the Hague Group, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.The Golan Heights were captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. Israel extended its law, jurisdiction and administration to the territory in 1981, effectively annexing it.The move was rejected internationally.UN Security Council Resolution 497, adopted unanimously in December 1981, declared Israel’s decision “null and void and without international legal effect.”That consensus was first broken by President Donald Trump in March 2019, when the US formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. No other UN member state followed the US until Colombia’s announcement Monday.The strategic importance of the Golan has become even more pronounced since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government in Syria in December 2024.Israel subsequently deployed forces into the UN-monitored buffer zone and other areas on the Syrian side of the previous ceasefire line, arguing that the political and security vacuum in southern Syria posed a potential threat to northern Israel.The post Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights in major diplomatic shift appeared first on World Israel News.