Colombia's hard-right president-elect plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem as he seeks to restore and strengthen ties with Israel, his office said Thursday. Abelardo de la Espriella won last month's presidential runoff by less than a percentage point and has promised to clamp down on Colombia's myriad armed groups -- partly by forging a military alliance with the United States and Israel. In 2024, leftist President Gustavo Petro severed ties with Israel, one of Colombia's key security partners, over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. De la Espriella, backed by US President Donald Trump, will take office on August 7 and has pledged to restore ties with Israel. The incoming government is moving forward with "the opening of the Colombian Embassy in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," his office stated Thursday. Israel regards Jerusalem, including the occupied eastern part, as its capital, although this is not recognized internationally and most countries conduct their diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv. The United States in 2018 moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during Trump's first term. Colombia is also set to withdraw its support for South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Incoming foreign minister Omar Bula on Wednesday met with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Washington, where the pair agreed on a roadmap to restore diplomatic relations and eliminate travel visas. "The historical relationship that the Petro administration unilaterally severed will be strengthened once again," AFP quoted the statement as reading. Petro had backed the ICJ case, while also halting coal exports to and arms imports from Israel. He also once said he intended to open a diplomatic mission in Ramallah, the West Bank, which is occupied by Israel, but the project never materialized.
