Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke Sunday with Samoan Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt, congratulating him on the decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem in 2026.
During the conversation, Sa’ar invited Schmidt to visit Israel and welcomed representatives from Samoa’s Foreign Ministry to advance the embassy’s opening.
Sa’ar thanked the Samoan leader for his country’s consistent support of Israel at the United Nations. Over the years, Israel has maintained development cooperation with Samoa through its Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV aid agency, offering training and infrastructure support in areas such as energy. In 2023, the two countries reaffirmed a mutual visa waiver agreement.
Samoa will become the third Pacific Island nation to open an embassy in Jerusalem, following Papua New Guinea in 2023 and Fiji in 2025.
Despite Samoa’s historically pro-Israel stance, the announcement has sparked some criticism. Keneti Masinalupe, a Samoan activist living in Australia, told Middle East Eye the decision was “absolutely appalling, especially when we consider that our ancestors fought for our freedom and independence from foreign colonial rule during the Mau Movement. Against that history, this development feels like a step backwards.”