Israel Prime Minister and Fiji Prime Minister Inaugural of Fiji Embassy in Jerusalem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, attended the dedication of the Fijian Embassy in Jerusalem, together with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar.

Prime Minister Netanyahu at the ceremony:

"It's a moving moment to have you here, with your ambassador, your staff, your delegation, our foreign minister, deputy foreign minister and all the friends who've gathered here at this important moment.

First of all, only one time you can be seventh. Then comes eighth, ninth; seven is an important number, it's a symbolic number in our tradition.; You're opening an embassy in the 'City on the Hill,' the city of Jerusalem. 

Here, next to the walls of our ancient city, the prophets spoke, the kings of Israel ruled, and some of the greatest insights of human faith and values were inscribed here. They were etched in our hearts and in the hearts of people all over the world.

When I listened to your anthem just now, I heard words that came from Zion, from Israel, from here – from Jerusalem.  The words that came from here. So we have a common bond, a common civilization, even though you are on the other side of the Earth in the middle of an ocean, happily surrounded by water. As long as it doesn't rise, it's very good.

 

But we are together over the years, in many instances, in many great issues, and the first one is peace. You mentioned it. You were a soldier of peace.  You were in a peace-keeping force. The idea of peace, peace between nations, peace between men and women around the world. That idea that all human beings are endowed with the right to live, the right to be free, the idea that slavery wasn't permanent. Three thousand years ago, that was a crazy idea, that people are basically important in themselves, every individual. That is a bedrock of our common faith and our common values. So this is more than a political moment. It's a sharing of great values and great purposes.

 

These values are challenged in our region. We have just been engaged for close to two years in a seven-front war against those who don't accept anything that I've just said. They celebrate a cult of death, they wish to extinguish the life of the Jewish state, but they threaten the lives of all who share our values and all who share the core of our civilization. It's very important that we brothers help one another. I'm proud of the fact that we have been involved in the development of Fiji. We talked today about many other things we can do and we intend to take this on with much vigor and much enthusiasm. 

But the most important thing is what we're doing now.

The fact that you have come here, and you have put your embassy in Jerusalem and you recognize a truth that everybody should recognize, but few governments have so far. That this has been our capital for 3,000 years, since the days of King David, and in many ways, you spoke about the fact that you enabled, you're very proud of the fact that the first ambassador, you accepted him into your house. Welcome to our house, Mr. Prime Minister, which is your house and the house of the people of Fiji."

Video: GPO

PRIME MINISTER RABUKA MEETS WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF STATE OF ISRAEL TO PACIFIC

Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka received a courtesy visit from the non-resident Ambassador of Israel to Fiji and the Pacific, Mr. Roi Rosenbilt, whilst he commences a weeklong official visit to Fiji and the region.

 

The meeting recognized the deep relationship between the two countries and highlighted prospects to further elevate Fiji and Israel’s ongoing cooperation, particularly in development areas such as agriculture and economy.

 

This particularly through renewing cooperation on the internship program in agriculture sector which will enable 12 Fijians to continue a training program in Israel to develop their expertise in agriculture and learn new technologies.

As part of the agricultural cooperation, the Government of Israel had earlier this year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Ambassador Rosenbilt engagements here this week is to see how best this cooperation can be materialized to yield return on investment for Fiji.

Further, Israel has reaffirmed its commitment to expand opportunities through the collaborative public-private sector partnership and investment in Fiji, that supports our hub status in the region.  

Ambassador Rosenbilt said his visit to Fiji is to see how best Israel can advance relations with Pacific, saying his grateful for the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Rabuka and exchange views on mutual issues of importance to Fiji and the Pacific.

 

On the same note, Ambassador Rosenbilt acknowledged Prime Minister Rabuka’s concept on the Oceans of Peace, saying it is an inspiring and commendable initiative to advance global solidarity and peace.

He said Israel hopes that Fiji will consider opening an Embassy in Jerusalem, in the near future to further strengthen the two countries’ relations and collaboration.

During his visit this week, Ambassador Rosenbilt aims to have several discussions with Government and Non-Government agencies to advance Israel’s cooperation with Fiji.

The Ambassador is expected to pay a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Mr Baron Waqa.  

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Citing ‘God of Israel,’ Papua New Guinea becomes 5th nation to open Jerusalem embassy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape (C) open Papua New Guineas embassy in Jerusalem, September 5, 2023. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Papua New Guinea opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape.

“Today is a milestone moment for my country Papua New Guinea,” Marape said. “We are here to give respect to the people of Israel to the fullest.”

Marape was explicit in laying out the religious motivation for the move, which makes Papua New Guinea the fifth country to open its embassy in Israel’s capital.

Papua New Guinea opened its embassy in Jerusalem “because of our shared heritage, acknowledging the creator God, the Yahweh God of Israel, the Yahweh God of Isaac and Abraham,” said Marape.

“You have been the great custodian of the moral values that were passed for humanity,” Marape said to Netanyahu.

“Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem but we made the conscious choice. This has been the universal capital of the nation and people of Israel. For us to call ourselves Christians, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognizing that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and nation of Israel.”

Over 95 percent of Papua New Guineans are Christians, with Catholics forming the largest denomination.

Marape also asked Israel to open an embassy in Port Moresby, and offered to provide the land for the mission. There are currently no plans to do so, the Foreign Ministry told The Times of Israel.

Israel’s relations with the island nation, which were established in 1978, are handled by its embassy in Australia.

For us to call ourselves Christians, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognizing that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and nation of Israel.

The embassy is located in the Jerusalem Technology Park at the southern end of the city, where Guatemala and Honduras also have their embassies.

Marape told local media before taking off for his trip that Israel would fund much of the costs of the office for the first two years, and he confirmed this at Tuesday’s ceremony. Israel’s Channel 12 news on Wednesday quoted the Foreign Ministry saying similar arrangements apply for the embassies in Jerusalem of Honduras and Kosovo.

Marape also said that Israel was helping Port Moresby find a permanent location for its embassy.

“This is where so much of our heritage emerged from,” Netanyahu responded at the ceremony. “This is where our values were forged. This is where our prophets prophesied.”

“I think it’s fitting that a state and a people so deeply committed to these values do what you just did,” he continued.

Netanyahu was joined by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who had landed back in Israel hours earlier following his trip to Bahrain, and by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.

Netanyahu held a meeting with Marape in his office before the ceremony.

Marape also toured Jerusalem’s Old City and Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Tuesday with his delegation, which includes a number of local pastors.

In February, the Foreign Ministry announced that Port Moresby would be making the move, after Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke with his Papua New Guinean counterpart, Justin Tkachenko.

Papua New Guinea’s embassy opening came on the heels of two similar announcements from other countries. In late August, Sierra Leone said that it would open an embassy in Jerusalem. Paraguay announced the week before that it would reopen its embassy in the Israeli capital as well.

Currently, the US, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo have embassies in Jerusalem.

Israel sees the moves as strengthening its claim to the city as its capital, though most foreign countries situate their embassies in or near Tel Aviv.

Hungary and Fiji are expected to announce embassy moves in the coming months as well.

Papua New Guinea is one of the Pacific nations that regularly vote with Israel at the United Nations, and Tkachenko told Cohen during their call that his country would continue to do so. In December, Papua New Guinea was one of the 25 countries that joined Israel in opposing the UN General Assembly resolution requesting that the International Court of Justice weigh in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, in 2018 it voted to condemn the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while five other Pacific nations rejected the condemnation.

The island nation’s geopolitical importance is on the rise as China and the US jockey for influence in the country and neighboring states in the Pacific Ocean. US President Joe Biden canceled a much-anticipated trip there in May, sending US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his stead.

Source: Times of Israel