Israel Joins Pacific Islands Forum as Sectoral Partner

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on social media that Forum Secretary-General Baron Divavesi Waqa told him Pacific leaders accepted Israel as a Forum Partner at their Palau meeting. Israel applied during Sa'ar's June visit to Fiji. It will join as a sectoral second-tier partner at ministerial level, not the strategic tier used by the United States, China and the European Union. The Forum previously had 21 dialogue partners. Sa'ar said cooperation would cover water management, desalination, agriculture, climate change, innovation and sustainable development, with a joint action plan and a mechanism to monitor implementation. The tiers will be reviewed after one year. Israel opened a Fiji embassy earlier this year that also serves nine other Pacific island countries. Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Nauru have opened embassies in Jerusalem since the current Israeli government took office; Samoa has promised to open one. The Pacific Islands Forum secretariat had not publicly confirmed Israel's status as of reporting. Palau President Surangel Whipps Jnr, who chaired the meeting, said Pacific partners were welcome but it was not up to them to determine the region's direction.