Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday attended the official dedication ceremony of the Fijian Embassy in Jerusalem, alongside Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar.
During the event, Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the Fijian delegation and praised the decision to establish the embassy in Israel's capital.
"It's a moving moment to have you here, with your ambassador, your staff, your delegation, our foreign minister, deputy foreign minister and all the friends who've gathered here at this important moment," Netanyahu said.
Referring to the symbolic timing of the embassy's inauguration, Netanyahu noted, "Only one time you can be seventh. Then comes eighth, ninth; seven is an important number, it's a symbolic number in our tradition. You're opening an embassy in the 'City on the Hill,' the city of Jerusalem."
He emphasized the historic and spiritual significance of Jerusalem, stating, "Here, next to the walls of our ancient city, the prophets spoke, the kings of Israel ruled, and some of the greatest insights of human faith and values were inscribed here."
Netanyahu also highlighted the deep cultural and moral ties between Israel and Fiji, remarking, "We have a common bond, a common civilization, even though you are on the other side of the Earth in the middle of an ocean."
Commending Rabuka's background in peacekeeping, the Prime Minister said, "You were a soldier of peace. The idea that all human beings are endowed with the right to live, the right to be free... That is a bedrock of our common faith and our common values."
Netanyahu referenced ongoing regional threats faced by Israel, describing a "seven-front war" against groups opposing those shared values.
"They wish to extinguish the life of the Jewish state, but they threaten the lives of all who share our values and all who share the core of our civilization," he said.
He also expressed appreciation for Fiji's support and reaffirmed Israel's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties: "We talked today about many other things we can do and we intend to take this on with much vigor and much enthusiasm."
Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu thanked Fiji for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying, "You have come here, and you have put your embassy in Jerusalem and you recognize a truth that everybody should recognize. This has been our capital for 3,000 years, since the days of King David."
Addressing Prime Minister Rabuka personally, Netanyahu added, "Welcome to our house, Mr. Prime Minister, which is your house and the house of the people of Fiji."
Fiji becomes the seventh country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.