Israel has been accepted as a partner of the Pacific Islands Forum, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Oct. 21. The announcement, made on the social platform X, signals a formal step in Jerusalem’s recent diplomatic engagement with countries across the Pacific.
The Pacific Islands Forum is the region’s primary intergovernmental organization and brings together governments from across the Pacific Islands. Partner status does not equate to full membership but typically enables closer diplomatic contact, technical cooperation and participation in selected Forum activities.
For Israel, the new relationship expands a geographically distant but strategically significant strand of foreign relations. Partner ties can open channels for collaboration on development, health, agriculture and capacity-building initiatives, and they create frameworks for dialogue on global issues that particularly affect the islands, such as climate resilience.
Gideon Sa’ar described the move as part of a wider effort to deepen ties with the Pacific region. How the partnership will be operationalized — including specific programs, timelines or exchanges — will depend on follow-up discussions between Israeli authorities and Forum members. The change marks a diplomatic milestone for Israel and adds another external partner to the Forum’s network as Pacific governments continue to balance domestic priorities with international partnerships.
