The Media Line: Nauru Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Democratic Republic of Congo To Follow  

Nauru Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Democratic Republic of Congo To Follow  

By The Media Line Staff  

The Pacific island nation of Nauru opened its first embassy in Israel on Monday, becoming the ninth country to establish an embassy in Jerusalem.  

Last week, The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, also announced it would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.   

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar joined Nauruan Foreign Minister Lionel Aingimea for the opening, highlighting Israel’s growing relationships with Pacific nations.  

“Israel’s relations with the nations of the South Pacific are advancing tremendously. Today two ancient peoples stand together in Jerusalem, proud of our identity, our heritage and our friendship,” Sa’ar said.  

Aingimea described Nauru, one of the world’s smallest countries with a population of about 12,000, as a longstanding supporter of Israel.  

“Our support for Israel has been unwavering,” Aingimea said. “Nauru is historically one of Israel’s most reliable and consistent diplomatic allies at the United Nations.”  

He said establishing the diplomatic mission in Jerusalem was also intended to demonstrate Nauru’s position internationally.  

“We see opening an embassy here in Jerusalem not only as strengthening our ties with Israel, but also as a message to the world of where we stand. Our motto is ‘God first,’ and Israel always has a special place in our hearts.”  

Sa’ar also announced Israeli assistance for Nauru through MASHAV, the Foreign Ministry’s international development cooperation program. Israel will provide “medical equipment, including cardiac ultrasound equipment, as well as water-purification systems capable of producing tens of thousands of liters of clean water each day.”  

Sa’ar and Aingimea agreed on plans to open the embassy during a June 2025 meeting in Fiji. Israel is currently represented in Nauru by a non-resident ambassador based in Fiji.  

Nauru joins the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Somaliland in maintaining embassies in Jerusalem.