Israeli tanks cross the ceasefire line into the buffer zone near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights village of Majdal Shams on July 23. Colombia became the second country in the world to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights Photo by Etaf Safadi/EPA
Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Israel recorded two diplomatic advances in Latin America, as Colombia became the second country in the world to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and Venezuela agreed to restore consular services with Israel for the first time since diplomatic relations were severed in 2009.
Colombia's Foreign Ministry announced Monday its recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau along the border between Israel and Syria, saying the decision was in response to "persistent regional instability in the Middle East" and the territory's strategic importance to Israel's security.
"Colombia recognizes that Israel's continued control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights constitutes an essential component of its national defense," the Colombian Foreign Ministry said.
The decision makes Colombia the second country in the world, after the United States, to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the territory. The United States did so in 2019 during President Donald Trump's first term.
