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Colombia Recognizes Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights

morning · · thread: President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella Announces Key Appointments and Cabinet Progress

6 sources across 4 countries · Israel · Norway · Qatar · Spain · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Haaretz Israel · Left · Schocken family and M. DuMont Schauberg
  • The Times of Israel Israel · Centre · Seth Klarman (majority backer)
  • The Jerusalem Post Israel · Centre-right · Mirkaei Tikshoret (Eli Azur)
  • Aftenposten Norway · Centre-right · Schibsted, Tinius Trust foundation
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • El Pais Spain · Centre-left · Grupo PRISA

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Colombia has officially recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, making it only the second country to do so after the United States. The announcement was made Monday by the Foreign Ministry of the newly inaugurated government of President Abelardo de la Espriella. In a statement published on X, the ministry stated that maintaining Israeli control over the territory is an essential component of Israel's national defense and its ability to protect its citizens.

Israel captured the strategic plateau from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and effectively annexed the territory in 1981. While the United States recognized Israeli sovereignty in 2019, the United Nations and most of the international community continue to recognize the region as part of Syria. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently described the Israeli occupation as totally unacceptable.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked President de la Espriella for the historic decision, noting that the two had agreed on the move in Barranquilla the day before the president's inauguration. The move follows a campaign by de la Espriella to restore ties with Israel and the United States to help combat armed groups within Colombia. This marks a significant shift from the policies of former president Gustavo Petro, who had severed diplomatic relations and criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza.

Additional diplomatic shifts include Colombia's decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem and its withdrawal from a South African lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice. The recognition occurred on the same day a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, resulting in at least 100 deaths and prompting Israel to offer assistance.

How each side framed it

Left
This outlet emphasized the far right nature of the new Colombian government in its framing.
Centre-left
These outlets framed the move as a break from international consensus and highlighted the illegal nature of the annexation.
Centre
This outlet presented the event as a restoration of once vibrant ties and a strategic endorsement of Israel's security.
Centre-right
These outlets framed the decision as a demonstration of leadership and a strategic necessity for Israel's security.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.