Israel announced on Thursday plans to open an embassy in Fiji in 2026, after the Pacific island nation inaugurated its mission in Jerusalem in September, according to AFP.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that the new embassy would strengthen bilateral relations and solidify Israel’s presence in the entire Pacific region.
“Just spoke with the PM and FM of Fiji… I informed the PM of my decision to open an Israeli embassy in Fiji in 2026,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X.
In September, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka officially inaugurated Fiji’s mission in Jerusalem placing the country among a small group of countries that have established embassies in the city, alongside the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay and Papua New Guinea.
Normally, Tel Aviv is home to several embassies as Jerusalem is considered one of the most sensitive and delicate issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prompting most countries to avoid establishing their diplomatic missions in the city.
Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967, and later annexed it. However, the international community did not recognize this move.
Jews claim the city as their eternal and undivided capital while the Palestinian Authority wants east Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.
US President Donald Trump took a unilateral decision in 2017 by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Consequently, the US transferred its embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018.
Guatemala then announced it would follow suit and transferred its own embassy to Jerusalem.
In September 2023, Papua New Guinea opened an embassy in Jerusalem.
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