Sitiveni Rabuka at the Pacific ACP (PACP) Leaders Meeting in Honiara on Tuesday, 9 September 2025. Photo: Pacific Islands Forum
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has doubled down on his government's decision to establish an embassy in Israel, saying it is "not a religious decision".
The Fijian government has drawn criticism since announcing plans to set up a permanent diplomatic mission in Jerusalem.
Last Friday, it confirmed that Rabuka would lead an official delegation to Israel to inaugurate the country's resident mission in the city on 17 September.
The government calls it "a strategic step" to enhance cooperation in several areas between the two nations, including "security, agriculture, climate resilience, innovation, trade and people-to-people links".
Rabuka said it "advances Fiji's interests", despite local non-government organisations and political opponents condemning the move due to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
This week in Honiara, Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) head Reverend James Bhagwan dismissed Rabuka's Ocean of Peace initiative, which is set to be endorsed at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting.
According to Rabuka, "The ocean of peace is not the absence of conflict, [but] the peace of mind that we in the Pacific feel, we would like to spread it to the rest of the world."
"We do not want to be torn between the major partners," he said in an interview with an Indian broadcaster last month.
On Monday, the Fijian government put out a statement to clarify its foreign policy stance after facing criticism.
"Fiji's foreign policy is guided by neutrality, respect for international law, and a commitment to peace. Fiji has maintained longstanding diplomatic relations with Israel while also supporting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people," it said.
"The government reaffirms its support for a peaceful two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians can live in dignity and security. Fiji condemns all forms of violence against civilians and stands with the international community in calling for humanitarian relief for those affected.
The statement said Fiji respects the concerns raised by PCC and civil society organisations, adding that "its foreign policy decisions are sovereign acts taken in the national interest".
"Establishing a mission in Jerusalem or engaging diplomatically with Israel does not mean endorsing war or harm. It is an act of engagement intended to build bridges and promote dialogue."
Rev Bhagwan said advocating for an Ocean of Peace in the region is incompatible with simultaneously supporting Israel.
"The Pacific Conference of Churches has spoken out against the genocide that is taking place in Palestine," he told reporters when asked about the Rabuka administration's support for Israel.
"We cannot talk about the killing of thousands of people, unarmed civilians, children, the destruction of humanitarian spaces and at the same time talk about relationship with the countries that are perpetrating this violence.
More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military assault after Hamas-led militants carried out a surprise attack on 7 October 2023, which killed 1200 people and saw another 251 abducted and taken to Gaza.
On Sunday, a top UN official warned there is a "narrow window" to prevent famine from spreading further in Gaza. The Ministry of Health in Gaza says more than 100 people, a quarter of them children, have died from starvation and malnutrition across the Gaza Strip.
Rev Bhagwan said the PCC - the peak regional ecumenical body with 35 national denominations, 11 national councils of churches across 20 Pacific Island countries and territories, including Aotearoa and Australia - "is very concerned about the narratives around Christian Zionism that are being pushed to gain political traction around the Pacific for the support of Israel."
"If we are going to be talking about an Ocean of Peace, we cannot talk about peace in our region and then engage and support those who do war."
However, Rabuka told RNZ Pacific that, as a UN member, supporting Israel is something that UN memeber states are obligated to do.
"Israel is a member of the United Nations, and we set up our embassies wherever we are welcome to set-up embassies," he told RNZ Pacific in Honiara.
"It is a government decision [to establish a Fiji embassy in Jerusalem], not a religious decision. We are a secular state."
Rabuka is hoping the Ocean of Peace "is forever...where countries will continue to have meaningful engagement with others without destroying the harmony of the coexistence of the Pacific communities."
Rev Bhagwan said the Pacific cannot talk about West Papua (Indonesia) and Kanaky (New Caledonia) if leaders are willing to let what is happening in Gaza go unanswered.
Earlier, Rabuka said Fiji's embassy in Jerusalem was about "constructive engagement".
"An embassy is not a blanket endorsement of another country's policies; it is a bridge that allows Fiji to work directly with partners, share our Pacific perspectives, and pursue practical cooperation that benefits our people."
Fiji will formally open its first embassy in Jerusalem next week.
In a statement on Tuesday, a coalition of human rights organisations said the Fijian government was "callously ignoring the unfolding famine and mass starvation in Gaza that is being deliberately orchestrated by the state of Israel".
"This very same Fiji government previously defended the destruction, killings, and maiming of scores of thousands of innocent civilians -70 percent women and children- by Israel at the International Court of Justice," the coalition said.
