Fiji Opens Its Embassy in Occupied Jerusalem with Netanyahu and Sa'ar Present

SadaNews - Fiji opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem today, Wednesday, in a move that contradicts international law affirming the illegitimacy of Israel's occupation of the city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a statement that he hosted his Fijian counterpart, Sitiveni Rabuka, in his office, where he "thanked him for the steadfast support for Israel."

The two discussed "regional diplomatic and security issues, and ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries," according to a statement issued by Netanyahu's office.

The statement added that Netanyahu and his wife received an invitation from Rabuka to visit Fiji, noting that the meeting was followed by a ceremony to inaugurate the embassy in Jerusalem, attended by both parties.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, in a statement, said, "I was honored to participate alongside the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of Fiji in the opening of Fiji's embassy in Jerusalem, our eternal capital."

He added that he "will continue to work to enhance the status of Jerusalem and to open and transfer more embassies to it."

According to Sa'ar, the move came "following the understanding reached with the Prime Minister of Fiji last February on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference."

The opening of the embassy comes as several Western countries, including Britain, France, Canada, and Australia, are preparing to recognize the Palestinian state during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meetings at the end of this month.

Fiji joins other countries that have embassies in occupied Jerusalem, such as the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, and Kosovo, while most countries of the world refrain from this step, adhering to international legitimacy decisions that do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city.

Palestinians maintain East Jerusalem as the capital of their anticipated state, based on United Nations resolutions that affirm the illegitimacy of Israel's occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1980.

The opening of the embassy coincides with the ongoing genocide war waged by Israel with U.S. support on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, alongside the accelerated settlement policies in the West Bank in preparation for its annexation, in steps that Palestinians see as ending any possibility for a two-state solution.