Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanked Samoan Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt during a phone call on Sunday for the Pacific nation’s “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,” Sa’ar wrote in X. “I invited the PM to visit Israel and we look forward to hosting him in Jerusalem very soon!”
Just spoke with the Prime Minister of Samoa, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt.
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) January 11, 2026
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
News of the embassy inauguration was first reported by JNS last week.
Schmidt told local Christian leaders at a special prayer service for Israel last week that he instructed his Foreign Ministry to “start preparation to open an office of Samoa in Jerusalem this year.”
The premier’s announcement comes after similar moves by other Oceania nations, including Fiji, which opened an embassy in the capital of the Jewish state in September, and Papua New Guinea, which inaugurated its diplomatic mission in Jerusalem more than two years ago.
Israel and Samoa, which have maintained bilateral ties since 1972, have strong, growing relations marked by cooperation in health, technology, agriculture and energy.
The Israeli embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, handles diplomatic relations with the predominantly Christian nation of 220,000 people.
