Opinion | More than faith: why some of Israel’s staunchest support comes from Pacific nations

The pro-Israel orientation of Pacific states has drawn attention to the intensely Christian character of these island societies

But there is one important characteristic of the region’s culture that has been overlooked: kinship

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Border police watch over right-wing Israeli protesters attempting to block the road as aid trucks cross into the Gaza Strip at the Kerem Shalom border crossing on January 29. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:15pm, 29 Jan 2024

One of the most perplexing, yet poorly understood, aspects of the international diplomatic response to the ongoing Gaza conflict has been the overwhelmingly pro-Israel orientation of Pacific Island states.

During the voting on two United Nations resolutions, on October 27 and December 12, calling on Israel to reduce the death and suffering of Palestinian civilians, many Pacific nations voted either against the resolution or abstained.

Why would these small island countries, on the other side of the world and with no direct links to Israel, choose to either oppose or not support this essential humanitarian gesture?

Members of the UN Security Council on October 25, 2023 hold a vote on a draft resolution put forward by the US related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Photo: EPA-EFE

Explanations of this anomaly have rightly placed emphasis upon the intensely Christian character of Pacific societies. Adherence rates in most Pacific countries sit above 90 per cent. Across the region, Israel and Judaism are exalted as the sacred foundations of their faith. Governments drawn from these societies duplicate these views, which are then borne out in international forums such as the UN.

Such an analysis is not wrong, but it might be obscuring other factors that contribute to staunch support for Israel. If the breadth and strength of Christian faith was the basis for supporting Israel, why then did other fervently Christian nations such as Brazil or Nigeria support the resolutions?

The role of kinship in the Pacific Islands

There is one hugely important characteristic of the region’s culture that has been overlooked: kinship.