Syria lodges UN complaint against Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan
Bogota’s move marked a foreign policy shift under new right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella, reversing Petro-era policies that strained ties with Israel.
Syria on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the United Nations over Colombia’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, a sharp reversal of Bogota’s policy.
What happened: According to Syria’s official news agency, SANA, Damascus sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Danish Ambassador to the UN Christina Markus Lassen, the current president of the UN Security Council, expressing its “protest, condemnation and categorical rejection” of Colombia’s recognition of Israel’s claim over the area.
In the letter, according to SANA, “Syria reiterated its categorical rejection of the continued Israeli attacks and incursions into its territory, calling on all states and international organizations to uphold their responsibilities in respecting international law and UN resolutions.”
Colombia announced on Monday that it recognizes Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights — a strategic plateau in southwestern Syria — becoming only the second country after the United States to do so. The decision came just three days after newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella took office on Aug. 7.
De la Espriella, a far-right politician also known by his nickname, “El Tigre,” has pledged to strengthen Colombia’s ties with Israel and move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem. His left-wing predecessor, Gustavo Petro, was a vocal critic of Israel and cut diplomatic ties with the country in 2024 over its military campaign in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Colombia ahead of de la Espriella’s inauguration and attended the ceremony.
In its statement, Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, citing the regional security context, said it “recognizes that maintaining Israel's control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect and safeguard its citizens.”
Following Bogota’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video thanking Colombia for the recognition, saying, “The nation is with Colombia.” Gesturing at a map of the Golan, he said, “The Israeli flag flies here, and it will continue to fly here, because this is our land.”
Syria’s Foreign Ministry separately condemned the decision Tuesday, saying the Golan Heights are an “inseparable part” of Syrian territory and calling Colombia’s recognition a “flagrant violation of the UN Charter.”
“Syria will continue to use all legitimate diplomatic and legal means to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and established rights, and to work toward the recovery of its occupied territories,” the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Turkey have also condemned Bogota’s move.
Background: Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and effectively annexed the territory in 1981 by extending Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration to the area.
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 497 in December 1981, declaring Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan “null and void and without international legal effect” and calling on Israel to rescind it.
For decades, no country formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory. That changed in March 2019, when President Donald Trump formally recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
Know more: The move also comes as Israel has expanded its military presence in southern Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, including by deploying troops and establishing positions inside the UN-monitored buffer zone adjacent to the Golan Heights.
The UN reported in June that Israeli forces had maintained and reinforced 11 military positions on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, including inside the UN-monitored buffer zone and the adjacent area where military forces are restricted under a 1974 disengagement agreement.
Israeli forces have also carried out repeated raids and incursions into villages in southern Syria.
At the same time, Israeli settlers have increasingly crossed into Syrian territory, with groups seeking to establish a presence beyond the Golan Heights. The Israeli military has detained and removed some of the settlers, but the crossings have become more frequent in recent months.
