Colombia Opens Jerusalem Embassy and Restores Israel Trade Deal, Defying Arab Pressure

A woman walks past the headquarters for the Colombian embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on October 14, 2026. Colombia officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem on October 14, joining a small group of countries including the US in taking the symbolic step of backing Israeli sovereignty in the contested holy city. The vast majority of countries keep their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv on the grounds that the status of Jerusalem will be settled in a final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Credit: Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images)

The Briefing

• Colombia inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem on October 14, becoming the 10th country to establish a formal diplomatic mission in the contested city, as President Abelardo de la Espriella completed a full reversal of the foreign-policy rupture imposed by his predecessor over the Gaza war.
• The Colombia-Israel Free Trade Agreement was reinstated the day before the embassy ceremony — on October 13 — formalizing a framework the two countries' foreign ministers had agreed upon during a July 15 meeting in Washington.
• Colombian exports to Israel had already collapsed 60.4% in 2026 versus the prior year — from $79.1 million to just $31.3 million — underscoring the economic urgency behind the realignment; Saudi Arabia and the Arab League swiftly condemned the move, and a joint statement from 18 Muslim-majority nations followed two days later.