Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, left, and Israel’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar at the opening of Israel’s Embassy in Fiji’s capital, Suva, on Tuesday 2 June 2026
Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government
Israel has “blessed” Fiji by opening its permanent diplomatic base in Suva and its alleged human rights violations in Gaza are “none of our business”, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Tuesday.
The prime minister made the comment during a joint press conference with Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who travelled to the country to inaugurate the opening of the Israeli Embassy in the Fijian capital.
Rabuka’s coalition government hosted Sa’ar to fulfil its promise of opening the Israel embassy – which it says will bolster relations between the two nations – despite facing criticism from human rights advocates for the move.
“You have blessed Fiji by opening your embassy here. We accept your blessing,” Rabuka said.
But the official inauguration was also marred by controversy after local police intervened to stop a handful of activists from protesting outside the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) – activists who do not agree with the Rabuka-led government’s friendly stance toward Israel.
When asked how he is able to balance his concept of a “region of peace” and the opening of the Israeli embassy against the backdrop of allegations of human rights violations by Israel, Rabuka replied: “That is none of our business.”
“We deal with [Israel] at diplomatic level. We are dealing with members of the United Nations in setting up and allowing them to set up their embassies here. The human rights violations are being dealt with in the appropriate court of the United Nations, and we have our representatives, and our submissions will go to those,” he said.
Sa’ar described locals protesting as “strange”.
“There is a good spirit between two nations, positive things happened, and somehow it disturbed someone. I would suggest [to the protesters in Suva] to use [their] time to do some more positive things.”
FWCC co-ordinator Shamima Ali told fijivillage.com that the police allegedly objected to banners carrying the slogan “From the river to the sea”, which is a slogan used by pro-Palestinian groups around the world.
“Ali claimed police informed protesters that they were considered a threat to public safety under an assessment made by a police officer,” the news outlet reported.
Fiji opened its embassy in Jerusalem in September 2025, becoming the seventh country to do so.
In March, the Fijian Cabinet approved plans for double diplomatic expansion, announcing that Israel and the united Arab Emirates would be establishing their permanent presence in the country.
The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission warned the government to exercise cautious diplomacy, saying at the time it should ensure that “Fiji’s foreign policy and diplomatic relations do not assist, enable, or legitimise conduct by parties or states involved in serious violations of international law”.
Meanwhile, Rabuka said cooperation between the two countries is set to include health, digital transformation, cyber security, agriculture, and climate resilience, among others.
“Overall, both sides are committed to ensuring that our partnership continues to evolve in ways that deliver practical benefits and support long-term developments and resilience for our peoples,” he said.
Sa’ar said his foreign policy is to “invest in our friends”.
“And Fiji is a true friend of Israel. We appreciate Fiji’s friendship and support in multilateral forums.”
He added Israel also wants to share its innovation and knowledge with Fiji in agriculture, water, energy, technology, and more.
“We also view the Pacific region as strategic, a friendly area with huge potential. We want to deepen our connections and investment here,” he added.
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