During 2026 Israel will open three new embassies worldwide and close one diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has decided. The new embassies will be opened in Fiji, in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia - with which diplomatic relations have been renewed, and in an African country that has yet to be determined. In 2025, Israel also opened three new embassies, in Zambia, Estonia and Moldova.
In September, Fiji opened an embassy in Jerusalem and is considered one of Israel’s most consistent supporters at the United Nations. Opening an Israeli embassy in Fiji is expected to strengthen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation in development, economic and security fields. It will also bolster Israel’s presence among the Pacific island nations, many of which are friendly toward Israel, and expand relations with additional countries in the region. Saar spoke by phone with Fiji’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, to inform him of the decision.
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Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo signed an agreement to renew relations
(Photo: Shmulik Almani)
The guiding principle behind Saar’s policy is to open embassies in particularly friendly countries, while considering the closure of missions in hostile states. In December 2024, the foreign minister decided to close Israel’s embassy in Dublin, Ireland, which is regarded as the most hostile country toward Israel in Europe.
As first reported by ynet, Saar is now considering closing Israel’s embassy in Oslo, Norway, a country seen as among the most hostile to Israel globally and a leading force behind boycott and sanctions campaigns against Israel, as well as legal action in international forums such as the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Meanwhile, Saar is also considering closing Israel’s consulate in Chengdu, one of Israel’s four diplomatic missions in China. Such a move would be dramatic, given the sharp deterioration in Israel-China relations since October 7, and the limited activity of Israeli missions in addressing rising antisemitism and anti-Israel reporting encouraged by Chinese authorities. In addition to the Chengdu consulate, Israel operates an embassy in Beijing and consulates in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, which oversees southern China.
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Opening ceremony of the Fijian Embassy in Jerusalem with the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Amos Ben Gershon, GPO)
This week, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s overseas human resources division, Giora Lurstein, announced the cancellation of a job posting for the head of the Chengdu mission, a move widely seen as signaling an intention to close the consulate. However, the decision taken at the Foreign Ministry is to close only one mission in 2026, raising the possibility that Oslo, rather than Chengdu, will ultimately be shut down.
In response, the Foreign Ministry said: “During 2026, three new embassies will be opened, as was the case in 2025, and one diplomatic mission will be closed.”