Colombia's new government to withdraw from ICJ case against Israel

Colombia's incoming administration plans to withdraw the country from the international legal case against Israel at the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) and fully restore diplomatic relations between the two nations, Israeli television reported on Friday, July 17.

According to Israel's Channel 12, the policy shift was announced by Colombian officials following a bilateral meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Colombia’s newly designated Foreign Minister, Pablo Escobar. The move signals a major reversal in the South American country’s foreign policy toward the Middle East.

Official diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and Bogotá were severed in 2024 under Colombia's outgoing left-wing President Gustavo Petro, who had actively aligned the country with international legal challenges against Israel's military operations.

In sharp contrast, Colombia’s newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has run on a platform advocating for a comprehensive restoration of bilateral and security alliances with Israel. Following de la Espriella’s election victory on June 21, Foreign Minister Sa'ar was among the first global diplomats to extend formal congratulations to the president-elect.

Under the incoming conservative administration, Bogotá is expected to formally halt its involvement in the ICJ proceedings in The Hague as part of a broader diplomatic reset aimed at re-establishing the traditional alliance between the two countries.

By Tamilla Hasanova