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The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia along with 18 other countries strongly condemned Colombia’s decision to open its embassy in Jerusalem, according to a joint statement distributed by the Saudi Press Agency. The ministers described the move as contravening relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions while undermining international efforts to secure a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. They expressed unequivocal rejection of the inauguration that took place on October 14 with the attendance of the Colombian and Israeli foreign ministers.
In the statement the ministers reaffirmed that any measure or decision intended to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem or to recognize it as Israel’s capital is null and void and has no legal effect. This position aligns with relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions particularly Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478 adopted in 1980 which reject attempts to change the city’s character or status. Those resolutions also call on states to withdraw any diplomatic missions from Jerusalem which forms an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.
The foreign ministers who joined Saudi Arabia in the statement came from Palestine, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Algeria, Djibouti, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Egypt and Yemen. The collective stance emerged shortly after Colombia under its new president restored diplomatic relations with Israel and proceeded with the embassy relocation from Tel Aviv. Such unilateral actions have drawn consistent criticism from Arab and Islamic nations that view them as obstacles to negotiated peace.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the ministers called upon the Colombian government to reconsider and reverse this decision to uphold its obligations under international law. They urged Colombia to refrain from any measures that prejudice the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people including their right to establish an independent sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The appeal reflects a unified regional position that has been reiterated in response to similar moves by other nations in past years.
Jerusalem’s status has remained a core point of contention since the 1967 Middle East war when Israel occupied the eastern sector of the city. Successive United Nations resolutions have affirmed that unilateral changes to boundaries or sovereignty lack validity under international law according to longstanding diplomatic records. The latest condemnation adds to diplomatic pressure on Colombia which became one of a small group of countries to locate its embassy in the city despite broad international consensus against such steps.
The joint statement underscores continued commitment across the participating nations to the two-state framework as the pathway to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Multiple outlets including those in Pakistan and Syria carried the full text of the communique highlighting its coordinated nature. No immediate response from Colombian authorities had been detailed in the initial reports on the ministerial declaration.
