'A very special bond' – Samoa plans to open embassy in Jerusalem, FM Sa’ar invites Samoa's PM to Israel

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Sunday that following the decision of the government of Samoa to open an embassy in Jerusalem in 2026, he had extended an official invitation to Samoan Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt to visit Israel. 

Just spoke with the Prime Minister of Samoa, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt.
I thanked him for his moral decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem in 2026.
I also expressed our appreciation for Samoa's consistent support for Israel in the multilateral arena.
I invited the PM to visit… pic.twitter.com/d8tZtZ0wie

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) January 11, 2026

During their call, Sa’ar invited Schmidt and members of his foreign ministry to travel to Israel ahead of the embassy’s opening. 

The Pacific Island nation of Samoa, which is almost entirely Christian, has maintained bilateral ties with Israel since 1972. Due to its small size, with around 220,000 people, Israel does not maintain an embassy in Samoa, with the embassy in New Zealand also handling diplomatic relations with the island nation. 

In recent years, ties between the two nations have expanded, largely through the foreign ministry’s center for international aid, MASHAV (Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation), which has focused on energy and technical development. In 2023, the two countries ratified a mutual visa-free travel agreement. 

Sa’ar’s call with Schmidt came after the latter announced his intent last week to open an embassy in Jerusalem this year. Speaking at an International Christian Embassy Jerusalem event in Samoa last week, Schmidt said, “Yesterday, I instruct[ed] our foreign affairs to start preparation to open an office of Samoa in Jerusalem this year.” 

Schmidt also referred to Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel's visit to the region in October, becoming the first Israeli government official to do so. Her visit came one month after Fiji opened its embassy in Jerusalem. Seven countries currently operate embassies in Jerusalem: the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.

Along with Samoa, Argentina has also discussed moving its embassy to Jerusalem later this year, while Hungary and the Czech Republic are reportedly considering doing the same. 

An honour to meet Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt of Samoa. 🇮🇱🤝🇼🇸

We explored new opportunities for cooperation that will open exciting new possibilities for both our nations. pic.twitter.com/GVa1gQiPRK

— Sharren Haskel השכל שרן (@SharrenHaskel) October 23, 2025

“I am very grateful when the minister of foreign affairs came all the way from Jerusalem to visit me when I was sick, in New Zealand,” Schmidt related during the ICEJ meeting. “It was a blessing for me to know that Israel also had an eye to Samoa, because we had a lot of connection in many ways.” 

His comments echoed those of Haskel, who spoke to the Jerusalem Post regarding her discussion with Schmidt, saying, “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,” Haskel noted. 

Schmidt said his family began to believe in the importance of praying for Israel after a visit by his sister to Jerusalem with a group from Fiji. Schmidt himself later went to Israel to see his sister, and described the religious moment when he understood that “everything from the Bible was there. Everything I learned from the Bible, I touched.” 

Juergen Buehler, president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told the Jewish News Syndicate, “It is exciting to see another nation give Jerusalem the respect it deserves by deciding to open its embassy in the Israeli capital.” 

“Like Fiji, the island nation of Samoa has a large Christian population that wants its leaders to stand with Israel on biblical principles,” Buehler said. “We are optimistic that more countries will follow suit in the coming year.”