Colombia's Foreign Minister, Omar Bula Escobar, told Congress on September 16 that closer security and intelligence cooperation with Israel was necessary to protect national interests and counter transnational threats including drug trafficking, arms smuggling and money laundering, according to a foreign ministry statement.

"This is a policy that seeks to protect national interests first," Bula said, addressing the Senate's Second Committee, adding that the government considered it necessary to restore the Jewish state's role as a strategic partner in security and intelligence.

The remarks come amid a broader reversal of Colombia's Israel policy since right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella took office on August 7. His predecessor, leftist Gustavo Petro, severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024 in protest at its military offensive in Gaza, later expelling Israeli diplomats and ending a bilateral free-trade agreement. De la Espriella restored ties within days of his inauguration and, on August 10, recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Syrian territory occupied since 1967 without UN endorsement — making Colombia only the second country after the United States to take that controversial position. His government has also withdrawn support for South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and announced plans to relocate Colombia's embassy to Jerusalem.

The pivot aligns Colombia with a wider regional shift of like-minded conservative leaders: Argentina's Javier Milei and Ecuador's Daniel Noboa have both deepened security and economic ties with Israel this year, while Brazil's presidential race has drawn Israeli attention after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly backed far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a frequent critic of Tel Aviv. Israel's defence exports have surged since the war in Gaza began in 2023, shifting from rifles and aircraft toward drones, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — capabilities Bogotá is seeking to counter drone attacks and infrastructure threats from armed groups including the ELN and FARC dissidents — though Latin America still accounts for only about 2% of Israel's total defence exports, according to Israel's defence ministry.

The thaw has drawn criticism from rights advocates who note it proceeds without addressing earlier allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, concerns serious enough that Spain and other governments have imposed arms embargoes on Israel. Analysts cited by El Espectador have argued that whatever future Colombian governments decide diplomatically, the technological dependencies created by renewed defence purchases would prove far harder to unwind than the diplomatic rupture itself.

Bula noted that Colombia first recognised the State of Israel in 1949 and established diplomatic relations in 1957, building a "cooperation agenda spanning security, defence, trade, agriculture and science." The two countries restored a reciprocal visa exemption for tourists on September 1 under Resolution 12189, allowing stays of up to 90 days, following a roadmap agreed in July between Bula and Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar. Israel's new ambassador to Bogotá, Vivian Aisen, presented her credentials as part of the rapprochement.