Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Pacific Islands Forum leaders approved Israel’s partnership bid at a meeting in Palau, opening a channel for cooperation with island governments on development and climate issues.
In his Oct. 20 account, Sa’ar said Forum Secretary-General Baron Divavesi Waqa had conveyed the decision to him. Reuters reported that the Forum had not publicly confirmed the status. Separately, 1News reported that Israel had received sectoral partner status, the lower of the Forum’s two partnership streams. The designation is a partnership, not Forum membership.
Israel applied during Sa’ar’s June visit to Fiji, he said. Israel also opened an embassy in Fiji that month; Sa’ar said it serves nine other Pacific island countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called for broader international partnerships on Oct. 18.
Sa’ar identified agriculture and innovation among the areas for cooperation, alongside water management, desalination, climate change and sustainable development. At a briefing in Suva reported Oct. 20, Forum representatives and Israeli officials discussed technical assistance, training and water security, PINA reported.
The Forum’s partnership policy gives strategic partners regular access to its annual Leaders’ Dialogue. Sectoral partners generally work through technical and ministerial discussions. A limited number may be invited to the annual dialogue only when their participation is directly relevant to that year’s priorities and members reach consensus.
The move drew objections in New Zealand. Labour foreign affairs spokesperson Vanushi Walters said her party would have opposed the partnership, RNZ Pacific reported. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the decision belonged to the Forum and described Israel’s status as a lower tier, according to RNZ Pacific.
Sa’ar said the next step is to prepare a joint action plan and establish a way to monitor its implementation.
