From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 7, 2026
Sa’ar meets Colombia’s incoming president ahead of inauguration
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets with Colombia’s incoming President Abelardo de la Espriella a day before the latter’s inauguration.
Sa’ar will attend the inauguration as well.
The pair have a three-hour private meeting and lunch at De la Espriella’s office in Barranquilla, says Sa’ar’s office.
They discussed ways to strengthen bilateral diplomatic, security and economic relations, according to the Israeli readout.
Mi amigo, @ABDELAESPRIELLA, quien asumirá mañana como presidente de Colombia, es un líder decidido e inspirador. Su elección es una gran noticia para su país, pero también para la relación entre Israel y Colombia. De la Espriella es un gran amigo del pueblo judío y del Estado de… pic.twitter.com/6HVLKj3LHM
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) August 7, 2026
Sa’ar thanks De La Espriella for his decision to move Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem, telling him, “You have laid a brick in the walls of Jerusalem.”
The two last met in Buenos Aires in November.
In Sa’ar’s Washington, DC meeting with Colombia’s incoming Foreign Minister last month, Omar Bola Escobar, the two agreed on restoring full diplomatic relations, appointing ambassadors, lifting visa requirements, and relocating Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem.
They also agreed to renew Colombian coal shipments to Israel and for Bogota to withdraw from South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The Times of Israel Community.