Sa’ar inaugurates embassy in Fiji, signs agreements

By Nava Freiberg

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2 June 2026, 11:09 am

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Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (R) shakes hands with Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka prior to a press conference at government buildings in Suva on June 2, 2026. (Leon LORD / AFP)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar inaugurates an Israeli embassy in Fiji during a diplomatic visit to the Pacific island.

“Today’s move is a clear expression of our intent to deepen our friendship with Fiji and Pacific Island countries,” Sa’ar says while speaking at the inauguration ceremony alongside Fiji’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, according to a video shared by his office.

A golden era in Israel-Fiji relations begins today ????????????????@gidonsaar @slrabuka pic.twitter.com/wpKESKvHHr

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 2, 2026

Rabuka says the move marks the start of “a golden era” between the countries, and affirms Fiji’s support for Israel’s security, saying, “We recognize Israel’s legitimate security concerns and reaffirm its… sovereign right to protect its people against terrorism and threats to its very existence.”

Israel’s embassy in Suva will also serve nine additional countries in the area, and aims to “strengthen Israel’s presence throughout the Pacific region and deepen ties with other island nations in the Pacific Ocean,” as well as “expand cooperation” with Fiji “in fields including development, economic affairs, security, and more,” according to a statement from Sa’ar’s office.

During meetings with senior government officials from Fiji, Sa’ar also signed “a declaration of Intent on cooperation in the field of national security” and a “Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in diplomatic training,” the statement reads, saying the agreements “will further expand and diversify the areas of cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations.”

Israel previously had an embassy in the country that was closed in 1995 due to budgetary constraints.

Fiji opened its own embassy in Jerusalem last September and has offered consistent backing on the international stage amid global criticism over Israel’s military actions, including by filing in March a declaration of intervention in the genocide case against Israel brought at the United Nations’ International Court of Justice by South Africa, arguing that the accusations are false.

Maya Yaron, head of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, is expected to be the new ambassador in Fiji.