Israel foreign minister heads to Ecuador, Colombia

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar left on Wednesday, August 5, for Ecuador and Colombia as Israel seeks stronger ties with right-led Latin American governments.

Saar is the first Israeli foreign minister to visit Ecuador in 44 years. He is also due to attend Friday's inauguration of Colombia's president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.

De la Espriella, described as a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has said he will move Colombia's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. That would mark a major shift from outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who severed ties with Israel over its campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Saar also recently spoke to Peru's conservative president-elect, Keiko Fujimori. Argentine President Javier Milei has also promised to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem, but that shift has not taken place.

Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and undivided capital, a status not recognised by most of the international community because of Palestinian claims to the holy city. Israel's outreach in Latin America comes as it faces criticism in much of the world, including in major European nations, over the war in Gaza that began after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.