‘Appalling’: Samoa to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem, sparking criticism Submitted by Rayhan Uddin on Thu, 01/08/2026 - 14:01 Pacific island activists tell MEE the controversial move is contrary to 'growing' domestic opposition to Israeli crimes Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt during his swearing in ceremony as prime minister, in Apia, Samoa, on 18 September 2025 (Facebook/Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt) Off Samoa is set to establish an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, a highly controversial move which has been condemned by Samoan activists. Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt, the Samoan prime minister, announced the decision on Tuesday at a special prayer service for Israel. “I instruct[ed] our foreign affairs to start preparation to open an office of Samoa in Jerusalem this year,” he told Christian leaders during the service, with the flags of Israel and Samoa visible in the background. Schmidt said Samoa would be following in the footsteps of neighbouring Fiji. To date, only seven other countries have moved their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem: the US , Guatemala, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Fiji. Opening Israel embassies in Jerusalem is seen as a highly controversial and provocative move. US President Donald Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 during his first term, becoming the first country to do so. A number of other states then followed suit. The majority of countries in the world maintain embassies in Tel Aviv, despite Israel claiming Jerusalem as its capital. Most believe the status of Jerusalem’s sovereignty should be decided through negotiations. Israel has occupied eastern neighbourhoods of Jerusalem since 1967, in contravention of international law. Palestinians have long claimed East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Keneti Masinalupe, a Samoan activist based in Australia, said the announcement was “absolutely appalling”. “Especially when we consider that our ancestors fought for our freedom and independence from foreign colonial rule during the Mau Movement,” Masinalupe told Middle East Eye. The Mau was a peaceful campaign in the first half of the 20th century for Samoan independence from colonial rule. “Against that history, this development feels like a step backwards,” Masinalupe said. Generational divide among Samoans A number of Pacific Island nations have close ties with Israel and often vote in its favour at the UN. Last June, a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza was supported by 149 countries and opposed by 12 – of whom seven were in the Pacific Islands: Fiji, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Tuvalu. Samoa abstained. Israel and Samoa have maintained ties since 1972. Schmidt, the leader of the Christian democrat FAST party, declared strong support for Israel after being elected premier in September. “Our forefathers decided Samoa adopt the God of Israel and the Biblical account that God blesses those who protect and pray for his people; and that God curses those who curse his people,” he said after being sworn in. 'More and more Samoans… are waking up to the true history of the Holy Land and the genocide against the indigenous Palestinian people' - Lia Sagote, writer “So diplomatically, religiously, culturally, we stand with Israel.” Lia Sagote, a writer and activist of Samoan origin, told MEE that much of the support for Israel stems from Samoa being a Christian state. She said that many people equate the Israel mentioned in the bible with the modern state, while “ignoring the actual history of [how] the State of Israel came about in 1948. “More and more Samoans, especially young people, are waking up to the true history of the Holy Land and the genocide against the indigenous Palestinian people,” Sagote said. Masinalupe agreed that there was a generational divide, with many elderly Samoans siding with Israel on religious grounds. However, he added that a growing minority “oppose our government aligning itself with a nation widely accused of committing atrocities against the people of Palestine. A people with their own identity, history and right to sovereignty.” Diplomacy News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0