Israel’s Foreign Minister Invites Samoa’s PM to Visit

Apia, SAMOA -14 January 2025 – Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has invited Samoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt to visit Israel following the decision to establish a Samoan embassy in Jerusalem.

Sa’ar spoke with the Prime Minister by phone last Sunday and he welcomed the decision for Samoa to establish an embassy in Jerusalem later this year – becoming the third Pacific Island nation to establish a diplomatic presence in the Israeli capital.

The decision has since been criticized by the media and the Opposition Party HRPP.

However, Laauli has strongly defended the decision he emphasized is driven by Samoa’s strategic long-term development, technological and security needs and goals and most importantly the Samoan people’s Christian beliefs.

The Prime Minister described the initiative as a “blessing for Samoa’s future” and a way to strengthen ties with one of the world’s most technologically advanced nations.

Israel is recognised as a global leader in innovation, particularly in agriculture, water management, healthcare, and cybersecurity — sectors that are critical to Samoa’s development and resilience.

In October last year, the Prime Minister met with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz in Auckland, New Zealand where additional spaces were secured for Samoan agricultural students to study through Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation.

Samoa’s economy and livelihood are deeply rooted in agriculture. Israel, which has transformed desert land into productive farmland, is a global leader in drip irrigation, salt-resistant crops, greenhouse farming, vertical farming, and precision agriculture.

With a Samoan Embassy in Israel, Laauli said Samoan farmers, technicians, and policymakers could access training, technology, and partnerships that would help Samoa increase food production, reduce reliance on imports, and strengthen resilience against climate shocks.

“For a small island state, being plugged into one of the world’s most advanced innovation ecosystems is strategic survival,” the Prime Minister says.

Israel recycles nearly 90 percent of its wastewater — the highest rate in the world — and leads in desalination, drought forecasting, flood control, leak detection, and coastal protection.

The Prime Minister believes cooperation with Israel would provide access to advanced climate-adaptation and resilient technologies, funding opportunities, and technical partnerships that could significantly strengthen Samoa’s water security and environmental resilience.

In health, Israel operates one of the world’s most advanced public health systems, excelling in telemedicine, artificial intelligence diagnostics, emergency response, trauma care, and rural healthcare delivery.

Through a diplomatic presence in Israel, Samoa could develop direct ministry-to-ministry partnerships, scholarship programs, medical training pipelines, and digital health platforms.

This would allow Samoan doctors and nurses to gain advanced training to upgrade and modernize hospital systems and emergency response capabilities back home.

A Samoan Embassy in Israel would therefore provide indirect access to powerful diplomatic, economic, and innovation networks, enhancing Samoa’s trade opportunities, investment credibility, and international standing.

The Prime Minister concluded that establishing an Embassy in Israel is not a political statement — “it is a strategic investment in Samoa’s future, economic development and more importantly our Christian beliefs.”