Fiji–Israel relations
Bilateral relations
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History
Despite being both former colonies of the British Empire, the first major visit to Israel by a Fijian official took place in 1978.[3]
In 2016, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama and thanked him.[4][5]
In 2020, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin visited Fiji as part of a Pacific island nations' summit.[6] In 2022, President Ratu Wiliame M. Katonivere visited Israel and met President Isaac Herzog at his official residence. In their meeting, they agreed to expand Israeli-Fijian relations with an emphasis on the potential use of Israeli environmental technologies and Israeli experience in the field of food security.[7]
Following the 2022 Fijian general election, which resulted in a hung parliament, saw the People's Alliance, the National Federation Party (NFP) and the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) begin negotiating to form a coalition government. SODELPA stated that opening an embassy in Jerusalem was one of the conditions for forming government with the two parties.[8] The negotiations were successful and Fiji reaffirmed its commitment to opening an embassy in Jerusalem.[9] The embassy was finally opened on 17 September 2025, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Fijian counterpart, Sitiveni Rabuka, wearing traditional Fijian garlands during the ceremony.[10] On 3 February 2026, Jesoni Vitusagavulu presented his credentials to Isaac Herzog, becoming Fiji's first resident ambassador to Israel.[11][12]
