Samoa will open an embassy in Jerusalem in 2026, Samoan Prime Minister Laoli Lauatea Schmidt told Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in a phone conversation, Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday. Sa’ar invited Schmidt to visit Israel to advance preparations for the new embassy.
Saar also expressed appreciation for Samoa’s consistent support of Israel at the United Nations. Jerusalem and Apia have collaborated over the years through Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV), providing training and support in areas such as energy, and in 2023, the two countries ratified a mutual approval-exemption agreement.
Currently, seven countries — the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay — operate full embassies in Jerusalem.
Additionally, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel hailed the love and support she received during her first official visit to Fiji and the Pacific region in November, which she discussed exclusively with The Jerusalem Post on her return.
Her trip came a month after Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka officially inaugurated his country’s embassy in Jerusalem on September 17, 2025, making it the seventh country worldwide to establish an embassy there.
During her visit, Haskel and Rabuka signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Digital Security and Cybersecurity between Fiji and the Israel National Cyber Directorate – the first formal collaboration since Fiji’s embassy was established.
“It’s a really interesting step in creating the dialogue between the two countries,” Haskel said.
She also met with the prime minister of Samoa, who was recently inaugurated.
Israel and Samoa share 'a very special bond'
“We have a very special bond, and there are quite a few fields that we can cooperate on, whether it’s agriculture, women’s empowerment, water technology, and mainly security around this region.
“I think there’s great cooperation that we can do together.”