Israel offers more scholarships for Samoan students

By Jeannie Penehuro/

Apia, SAMOA – 04 February 2026 – Samoa is on the cusp of a new era of educational and agricultural collaboration with Israel, as the Middle Eastern nation confirms its willingness to offer scholarships to Samoan students and share its cutting-edge technologies.

This development aims to strengthen bilateral ties, focusing on sustainable development and food security.

His Excellency Alon Roth-Snir, the Israeli Ambassador to Samoa, expressed Israel’s enthusiasm for fostering educational exchanges and technological partnerships. He highlighted Israel’s extensive programs in various fields, including agriculture, health, IT, and women’s empowerment.

“We have many agriculture courses. We have educational courses, courses on health, whether management of hospitals, or courses for nurses and doctors, medical doctors, courses on IT, in cyber, and women empowerment,” Roth-Snir explained.

“We have centres in this world in which these students are being exposed to what Israel can offer.”

He shared an example of a Samoan woman who completed Israel’s 11-month agricultural training program last year. She returned to Samoa equipped with new knowledge, which could now benefit local research institutions in agriculture.

“This woman came back to Samoa and now the Samoan research institutions in agriculture can benefit from what she saw and was exposed to in Israel in those 11 months,” Roth-Snir said. “I have no doubt that more Samoans will come back with the newest and most modern Israeli capabilities to help us here in Samoa.”

Thinking Globally
The ambassador also emphasized the importance of thinking globally for young people.

“First of all, I think that today, the world is the global village,” he said. “It could be a global village of ideas, of technologies, of education. When you build something, when you want to create something, when you are innovating and want to create a product, or build your small enterprise, think globally. The solutions you find today might someday be applicable worldwide.”

In terms of technological support, Roth-Snir highlighted Israel’s expertise in turning arid land into fertile farmland through innovations like drip irrigation.

“It was one of the first innovations introduced in Israel by Israelis, and I think that it really transformed the country from a country that never had enough water, that never had enough agricultural land,” he said. “Today, it is not just a pipe with a hole, but a pipe with many holes, many computers attached to it, enabling us to grow almost whatever we want in almost whatever climate we have.”

Plans to open a Samoan Embassy in Jerusalem
The relationship between Samoa and Israel has been accented by the announcement by the Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt of his vision to establish a Samoan Embassy in Jerusalem by the end of this year.

As well, an Israeli embassy will be opened in Samoa. This close relations will help foster sharing of expertise on agriculture and food security as key priorities. Such a move would facilitate access to Israeli technology, training, and partnerships—an essential step toward increasing food production, reducing reliance on imports, and bolstering climate resilience.

“We have many courses available in Israel, including agriculture, health, IT, cyber, and women’s empowerment,” explained Ambassador Roth-Snir.

He cited a recent example of a Samoan woman who completed an 11-month agricultural course in Israel, noting, “She came back to Samoa and now the Samoan research institutions in agriculture can benefit from what she saw and was exposed to in Israel.”

This partnership opens promising opportunities for Samoa to harness Israeli expertise in agriculture and education in the efforts to foster sustainable growth and resilience.