JERUSALEM — Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Colombia’s incoming foreign minister Omar Bula Escobar agreed to fully restore diplomatic and economic relations between Israel and Colombia on July 15, 2026. The agreement, finalized in Washington, reverses a two-year rupture in bilateral ties and includes provisions for renewed ambassadorial exchanges, visa-free travel, expanded development cooperation, and plans for Colombia to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

The two ministers signed a joint roadmap to normalize relations that had been severed in May 2024 when outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Colombia would cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the war in Gaza. In response, Israel recalled its ambassador to Colombia in June 2024, and Colombia’s ambassador to Israel completed her term and left the country that same month. Petro later ordered Colombia to establish an embassy in Ramallah, further signaling his government’s break with Israel.

Under the new agreement, Israel and Colombia will exchange ambassadors for the first time since 2024. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has already begun preparations to appoint a new Israeli ambassador to Bogotá. Colombia’s incoming government, led by President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, intends to open an embassy in Jerusalem—a move that would constitute formal Colombian recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Colombia previously operated a trade and innovation office in Jerusalem during the presidency of Iván Duque.

The two countries also agreed to abolish visa requirements for their citizens, facilitating travel and strengthening people-to-people ties. Additionally, Israel and Colombia will expand Israeli development assistance to Colombia through MASHAV, Israel’s agency for international development cooperation. This collaboration builds on historical partnerships in diplomacy, trade, security, agriculture, and technology, which had made Colombia one of Israel’s closest partners in Latin America prior to the 2024 rupture.

The diplomatic reset follows a June 2026 telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Sa’ar and Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. De la Espriella, who defeated left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda in Colombia’s June 2026 presidential election, has signaled an intention to move Colombia away from Gustavo Petro’s foreign policy. His administration is set to take office on August 7, 2026, when he is scheduled to be inaugurated as Colombia’s next president.

Before relations were severed, former Colombian President Iván Duque had described Colombia as Israel’s leading ally in Latin America. The current agreement marks a return to that alignment under a new Colombian administration. Petro accused Israel of interfering in the June 2026 Colombian presidential election, though no evidence was provided to substantiate the claim.

The restoration of full diplomatic and economic relations between Israel and Colombia represents a realignment in Latin American foreign policy, reversing one of the most prominent diplomatic breaks Israel experienced in recent years. Colombia’s planned embassy in Jerusalem, if realized, would also place it among a limited number of countries that formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital—a stance with broad geopolitical implications.

The agreement reflects a broader pattern of foreign policy recalibration following electoral change in Colombia, and it reinstates cooperation across multiple sectors that had flourished for decades. For Israel, the move helps consolidate diplomatic standing in a region where ties have often been complex, while for Colombia, it signals a strategic pivot toward renewed engagement with a key technological and security partner.