Pakistan, 18 countries reject Colombia’s Jerusalem embassy, says move has 'no legal effect'

Pakistan and 18 other countries have condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem, saying any move to recognise the city as Israel’s capital was “null and void” and had no legal effect, according to a Foreign Office (FO) statement issued on Friday.

According to the FO, the joint statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers expressed their “unequivocal rejection” of the move, saying it 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 said their position was consistent with relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980.

The resolutions rejected attempts to change Jerusalem’s character or status and called on states to withdraw diplomatic missions from the city, which the statement said was part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.

The 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”.

They reaffirmed the Palestinians’ right to “an independent and sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

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The condemnation came two days after Colombia opened its embassy in Jerusalem on October 14, becoming the 10th country to establish a diplomatic mission in the city, Reuters reported. The move marked a shift in relations with Israel under President Abelardo de la Espriella, who reversed his predecessor’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Israel.

Former Colombian president Gustavo Petro broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024 over its military operations in Gaza. Colombia’s embassy opening also coincided with the restoration of a free trade agreement between the two countries.

Most countries maintain their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv, while Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital and Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. The city’s status remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Additional input from Reuters