Following Papua New Guinea and Fiji, Samoa to Open Embassy in Jerusalem

Samoan Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt has decided that Samoa will open an embassy in Jerusalem during the year 2026. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke with him today (Sunday) and welcomed the decision.

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 the conversation, Sa’ar invited Prime Minister Schmidt to pay an official visit to Israel and invited representatives of Samoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs  to visit Israel as well in order to advance the opening of the embassy. Sa’ar thanked the Samoan prime minister for Samoa’s consistent support of Israel at the United Nations.

Close Ties

Last week, Samoa held a prayer gathering for Israel. At the event, the prime minister addressed participants and called for the safeguarding of Israel’s peace and security.

In a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Samoa, it was noted that the event provided an opportunity to “reaffirm the Government of Samoa’s support for Israel,” in line with what the Prime Minister had “previously stated” in one of his media interviews.

Third in the Region

Samoa will be the third Pacific Island nation to open an embassy in Jerusalem, following Papua New Guinea, which did so in 2023, and Fiji, which opened its embassy in 2025.

The expanding circle of nations standing openly with Israel reflects a deeper spiritual undercurrent, one long anticipated in the Bible. The prophet Zechariah speaks of a future time when “many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 8:22). Jerusalem is gathering momentum as the recognized capital of the State of Israel, hinting at a future moment when Jerusalem once again becomes a focal point for faith, prayer, and the unity of nations under God.