Ana Rokomokoti-Jordan never dreamed she would one day run as a party candidate in a nationwide election campaign. And yet, that is precisely what she did: driven by a deep conviction that her country, Fiji, must stand up for Israel and its eternal and undivided capital. Here she recounts her campaign and a remarkable success in Fiji.
By Ana Rokomokoti-Jordan, Christians on the side of Israel Fiji
“Without vision a nation perishes.” Proverbs 29:18
Like any other iTaukei child, I grew up in a completely normal iTaukei Christian environment. (Editor's note: iTaukei refers to the indigenous population of Fiji.) I came to know Jesus Christ by hearing the word of God preached in a Methodist church somewhere in Sigatoka. From an early age, I accepted Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, as my Lord and Savior. I constantly visualized him being crucified as such. I believed from the beginning that the Jews are a special people and the apple of God's eye. And that Jerusalem was, is, and will remain the city of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Formative love within the family
Fast forward to 1999: While I was stationed in the Middle East as a UN peacekeeper with the Fijian battalion, my beloved mother, Georgina Viola Rokomokoti, visited me. She wanted to be in Israel for Sukkot. I accompanied her on part of her journey through Israel and Egypt. During this time, she told me why Israel is so important.
My mother, who is now with the Lord, loved Israel and always encouraged our family to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to love Israel, to stand by it, and to bless the Jewish people forever. During our travels together through Israel, I silently observed her passionate attitude toward this land and its people, the Jews. I suspect that this instilled in me a deep love for Jerusalem, Israel, and the Jewish people, a love that remained hidden for many years and only revealed itself later in life.
As a newcomer to politics
National elections were held in Fiji in 2022. Out of deep conviction, I decided to run for office. I joined the political party SODELPA (Social Democratic Liberal Party, hereinafter referred to as "the Party"). SODELPA represents an open-minded and fundamentally positive stance towards Israel.
One of my primary goals was to ensure that Fiji supported Israel by advocating for it at the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council, and—equally importantly—by officially recognizing Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish state of Israel. I am very aware that God can choose and use any person for a task if He deems them suitable. Nevertheless, I would like to offer a brief glimpse into the actual course of the national election campaign.
I have to say that I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would one day run in a national election. I admire politicians, and I have my reasons for doing so, but I never saw myself as a politician. But then, one particular morning in 2022, I woke up and announced to my husband my desire to run in the national elections. He was completely taken aback. It was so unlike me. Raphael has always supported me in pursuing my dreams and goals. Even then, as always, he advised me to pray, to seek God's will, and to trust God wherever He might lead me.
That's exactly what I did. I prayed and truly understood it as a calling to run in the national elections. I was a complete novice in national politics. I had absolutely no experience. But I had this very strong conviction regarding Jerusalem, Israel, and the necessity for Fiji to express its support for Israel and the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish state of Israel.
Election campaign on the most remote islands
I took unpaid leave from my job. I traveled to my home province of Bua in northern Fiji. This region was assigned to me by the Party. I was far from my immediate family and unable to fulfill my duties as a mother. I had a mortgage to pay and had arranged a temporary suspension, which, thank God, the bank granted.
I spent three to four months on an intensive campaign tour, during which I, among other things, effectively lobbied for Jerusalem and Israel. The campaign trip was not easy. Most of the locations were far from urban centers. This meant long, arduous journeys on dusty and unlit roads at night, as well as hours spent traveling by car and in simple boats.
Once, we attempted to reach one of the remote islands. We left the mainland port around noon and arrived on Yadua Island around 2:30 p.m. after a two-and-a-half-hour crossing. The team and I spent two hours campaigning and discussing the concerns of the villagers. We left the island around 4:30 p.m. and didn't reach the port for about four hours because we were sailing against the tide. It was a very dark, wet, and rough journey. By God's grace, we returned safely.
Non-negotiable: an embassy in Jerusalem
As the culmination of my campaign, I returned to Suva and held a prayer breakfast there for the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Christian supporters came in large numbers. It was very moving to see the support of ordinary Fijian people. Their faith was extremely inspiring. At this event, a pledge was made that Fiji would move its embassy to Jerusalem should the party come to power.
Although I didn't make it into parliament, the party became the kingmaker in the formation of the government. In its negotiations, the party made the issue of Jerusalem a non-negotiable condition. This decisive push came from party leader Bill Gavoka, who is now deputy prime minister in the new government.
The party joined the coalition government on Christmas Eve 2022. Fiji celebrated the election of a new Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka. Fiji was overjoyed. I personally was very excited, as my vision was now within reach. Under Prime Minister Rabuka's leadership, the Fijian cabinet gave its approval, and Fiji established an embassy in Jerusalem in September 2025.
In October 2025, I visited the Fijian embassy in Jerusalem together with Sister Salote and Brother Lepani. A dream came true. Mission accomplished. It took a courageous and determined leader like Sitiveni Rabuka to realize this vision.
I am grateful for the support of so many people who carried me through my election campaign. I especially thank my husband, Raphael, for being such a great support. And I would particularly like to mention Brother Lepani and Sister Salote Makubuna for their immense support. Above all, however, I thank God for his grace and for enabling us to do his will.
background
The organization Christians for Israel (C4I), headquartered in the Netherlands, has branches in more than 30 countries in addition to Fiji. Christians Standing with Israel (CSI) is its German branch. The Republic of Fiji has maintained close relations with Israel since 1970. Besides the island nation in the South Pacific, seven other countries currently have embassies in the Israeli capital, Jerusalem: the USA, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay. (Editorial staff)
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 144. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
