Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Colombia to open Jerusalem embassy next week, Israel says
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that Colombia would open an embassy in Jerusalem next Wednesday, making it the tenth country or entity with an embassy in the city.
“Next Wednesday, we are going to inaugurate... the Colombian embassy,” Saar said at a conference.
A press officer at Colombia's foreign ministry in Bogota said Foreign Minister Omar Bula would travel to Jerusalem on Sunday ahead of the opening.
Saar also said Israel had agreed with the Democratic Republic of Congo on what he described as the 11th embassy in Jerusalem, adding that it would happen “very soon”.
Nearly all countries with diplomatic ties to Israel have their embassies in Tel Aviv, because Jerusalem is not recognised by the international community as Israel's capital. The countries or entities with embassies in Jerusalem are the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Fiji, Nauru and Somaliland, whose independence only Israel recognises.
Jerusalem's status remains one of the most difficult issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel annexed east Jerusalem after occupying the West Bank in 1967, but the United Nations does not recognise the annexation.
Update
A Colombian foreign ministry press officer said Foreign Minister Omar Bula would travel to Jerusalem on Sunday ahead of the embassy opening.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 October 2026 at 15:22:56 UTC.
Update
Gideon Saar said Colombia would be the tenth country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
The item lists the existing Jerusalem embassies as the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Fiji, Nauru and Somaliland.
It adds that nearly all countries with diplomatic ties to Israel keep embassies in Tel Aviv because Jerusalem is not recognised internationally as Israel's capital.
It adds that Israel annexed east Jerusalem after occupying the West Bank in 1967 and that the UN does not recognise the annexation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 October 2026 at 14:50:46 UTC.
Update
Gideon Saar made the announcement at a conference.
Saar said the Democratic Republic of Congo would very soon follow Colombia in opening an embassy in Jerusalem.
The source says Colombia would join a small but growing list of countries with embassies in Jerusalem, while most embassies in Israel remain in Tel Aviv.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 October 2026 at 14:21:41 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The opening is described as planned for next Wednesday and has not yet taken place.
Source
AFP news report published on .