SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — An ancient Biblical prophecy lies at the heart of a Pacific islands push to open embassies in Jerusalem, experts and former diplomats have told AFP.

Israel may seem an unlikely partner for the far-flung nations of the tropical South Pacific, sharing little in common by way of culture, language, food or sport.

And yet, Pacific island nations have often proven some of Israel’s most steadfast supporters on the international stage.

Tiny Nauru opened an embassy in Jerusalem earlier this week, joining a handful of nations bucking international pressure by recognizing Israeli sovereignty in the holy city.

Papua New Guinea and Fiji are already among just seven UN member-states to open embassies in Jerusalem, while Samoa has stated it will join them later this year.

Former Fijian diplomat Salote Tagivakatini said the moves were less about calculated statecraft and more about religious conviction.

“Christianity is the biggest underlying factor,” she told AFP. “Around 90 percent of indigenous Pacific islanders identify as Christians. Therefore, their interpretation of the Bible and reference to Jewish people as ‘God’s chosen people’ obligates them to support Israel.”

Waves of European missionaries sailed through the South Pacific in the 19th century, bringing evangelical Christian teachings that were adopted with enthusiasm.

Many parts of the Pacific today hold deep-rooted beliefs in biblical prophecy, viewing Jews as destined to return to the Land of Israel.

There are pockets of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji where some even identify as descendants of one of the “Lost Tribes of Israel.”

Anthropologists have documented the Gogodala people of........

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