By: Fern Sidman

In a move drawing sharp condemnation from both Washington and Jerusalem, a coalition of anti-Israel states, U.N. figures, and pro-Palestinian organizations will convene in Bogotá, Colombia, for a two-day summit explicitly aimed at promoting legal and diplomatic action against the State of Israel. As reported by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) on Monday, the summit, scheduled for July 15-16, is expected to bring together officials from 20 countries—many of them traditional adversaries of Israel on the international stage—with the expressed goal of taking “concrete measures” against Israel.

Co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa, the summit is billed as an “emergency” gathering under the auspices of the so-called Hague Group—a coalition of eight nations that first convened in January in the Netherlands to coordinate efforts against Israel under the banner of enforcing “international law.” According to the information provided in the JNS report, the Hague Group’s founding members—Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa—are committed to what they call “coordinated legal and diplomatic measures” targeting Israel’s conduct in its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

The Hague Group’s official statement declared that the Bogotá summit would be a platform for states to “announce concrete actions to enforce international law through coordinated state action to end the genocide and ensure justice and accountability.” The incendiary language—specifically the use of the term “genocide” against Israel—has provoked fierce criticism from American and Israeli officials, who view the summit as a blatant political maneuver designed to delegitimize Israel on the world stage.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told JNS that the United States “strongly opposes efforts by so-called ‘multilateral blocs’ to weaponize international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas.” The spokesperson went further, warning that the Hague Group’s true objective is to undermine democratic sovereignty and isolate Israel, thereby setting a dangerous precedent for targeting the United States, its military personnel, and its allies.

“The United States government will aggressively defend our interests, our military, and our allies, including Israel, from such coordinated legal and diplomatic warfare,” the State Department emphasized in its comments to JNS. “We urge our friends to stand with us in this critical endeavor.”

Israel’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations also issued a pointed response to JNS, emphasizing the moral inversion at the heart of the summit’s agenda. “What the event organizers, and perhaps some of the countries attending, forget is what triggered this conflict—namely, the butchering of 1,200 innocent souls on October 7,” the Israeli mission stated, referring to the Hamas-led massacre that launched the current war.

As JNS reported, the Israeli statement went on to highlight the plight of the 50 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. “Attempting to exert pressure on Israel—and not Hamas, who initiated and are prolonging this conflict—is a moral travesty,” the mission added. “The war will not end while hostages remain in Gaza.”

The summit’s roster of participants reads like a who’s who of Israel’s harshest international critics. Beyond the eight members of the Hague Group, nations such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Djibouti, Indonesia, Ireland, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Turkey, and Uruguay are expected to attend, along with representatives from the Palestinian Authority.

Colombia itself severed diplomatic ties with Israel in May 2024, an action widely seen as symbolic of its alignment with the anti-Israel bloc. JNS has reported that several of the states slated to participate in the summit have either initiated or joined the International Criminal Court (ICC) case accusing Israel of war crimes related to its military campaign in Gaza, or have worked to block the shipment of arms destined for Israeli defense forces.

Among the summit’s most controversial participants are U.N. officials with records of outspoken anti-Israel rhetoric. The JNS report noted that Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), is scheduled to address the conference via video link. Lazzarini’s agency has been mired in scandal over allegations of staff complicity with Hamas terrorism—a matter that has called into question UNRWA’s credibility and neutrality.

Equally controversial is the expected participation of Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the Palestinians, who, as the JNS report highlighted, was recently sanctioned by the United States for inflammatory statements and bias against Israel. Albanese’s anticipated presence at the summit underscores what Israeli officials describe as the U.N.’s increasing susceptibility to politicized attacks on the Jewish state.

The gathering in Bogotá is viewed by many observers as emblematic of a broader campaign to exploit international legal forums and diplomatic channels to isolate and weaken Israel. The use of terms like “genocide” and the explicit call for coordinated legal action reflect what critics see as a dangerous effort to distort international law for political ends.

The timing of the summit also raises strategic concerns. As the JNS report pointed out, the event comes amid an intensified legal and diplomatic offensive against Israel at multiple fronts—ranging from ICC investigations to U.N. General Assembly votes and national-level boycotts or sanctions. The fear among American and Israeli officials, according to JNS, is that these coordinated efforts are part of a larger agenda that could eventually target other democracies under the guise of enforcing international norms.

For the United States, the Bogotá summit represents a test of resolve in defending not only Israel but also the integrity of the international system against what it sees as radical anti-Western manipulation. As one senior American official put it to JNS, the Trump administration—and indeed any future U.S. administration—must be prepared to push back against “coordinated legal and diplomatic warfare” designed to erode the sovereignty of democratic nations.

Israel’s stance remains firm: the international community must focus its pressure on Hamas, not on the country defending itself from terrorism. With the war in Gaza ongoing and the fate of Israeli hostages hanging in the balance, Jerusalem views summits like the one in Bogotá as both a diplomatic affront and a dangerous misdirection of global attention.

As JNS has emphasized in its coverage, the Bogotá summit is more than just a symbolic gathering. It is a manifestation of a well-organized, politically charged campaign against Israel—one that Israel and its allies believe must be met with unwavering opposition.