Pakistan, 17 Others Condemn Colombia’s Jerusalem Embassy
Eighteen countries, including Pakistan, on Friday condemned Colombia’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, declaring that any move to recognise the city as Israel’s capital had no legal effect.
Colombia formally opened the embassy on Wednesday, joining a small group of countries, including the United States, that have taken the symbolic step of backing Israeli sovereignty over the contested city. Most countries keep their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv, on the basis that Jerusalem’s status will be settled in a final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Joint statement by foreign ministers
In a joint statement shared by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Turkiye said they “strongly condemn and express their unequivocal rejection” of the embassy’s inauguration.
The statement said the move contravened relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermined international efforts to achieve “a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution”.
The ministers reaffirmed that any measure intended to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or to recognise it as Israel’s capital, “is null and void and has no legal effect”. They cited Security Council resolutions 476 (1980) and 478 (1980), which reject attempts to change Jerusalem’s character and call on states to withdraw diplomatic missions from the city, part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.
Call on Bogota to reverse course
The foreign ministers called on the Colombian government to “reconsider and reverse this decision, uphold its obligations under international law, and refrain from measures that prejudice the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to an independent and sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital”.
The condemnation follows Colombia’s sharp foreign policy turn. President Abelardo de la Espriella reversed his predecessor Gustavo Petro’s break with Israel and restored a free trade deal, moves we reported when the embassy opening was announced.
A consistent Pakistani position
Friday’s statement is consistent with Pakistan’s recent posture on Jerusalem. In May this year, Pakistan joined 13 other countries in condemning the “illegal and unacceptable step” of Somaliland opening what it called an embassy in occupied Jerusalem, describing it as an infringement on the city’s legal and historical status.
Pakistan has also kept up active diplomacy at the United Nations on Middle East questions, including its push at the Security Council over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Islamabad’s call for the UN to turn words into action.
Since US President Donald Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem in his first term and recognised the city as Israel’s capital, only a handful of small, US-aligned countries have followed: Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Nauru. Kosovo and Somaliland, which are not UN member states, have also opened what they describe as embassies in Jerusalem. The dispute over diplomatic missions in the city flared again recently when Israel moved against the British consulate in Jerusalem.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries condemned Colombia’s Jerusalem embassy?
Eighteen countries signed the joint statement: Pakistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Turkiye.
What did the joint statement say?
The foreign ministers strongly condemned the embassy’s inauguration, said any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was “null and void”, and urged Colombia to reverse the decision in line with UNSC resolutions 476 and 478.
When did Colombia open the embassy in Jerusalem?
Colombia officially opened the embassy on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, days before the joint condemnation was issued on Friday.
