Colombia on Monday officially recognised Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic Syrian territory that has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967, Anadolu reports. “The Government of Colombia recognises Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as the right of that state to protect itself against external threats,” the Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed gratitude to Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar for the shift in policy, labelling the move a “historic decision.” The Golan Heights, which Israel unilaterally annexed in 1981, remains a focal point of international dispute. In 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term, the US became the first country to recognise the Golan Heights as part of Israel.