Samoan in Jersualem says businesses are slowly opening

RNZ News

a day ago

Smoke billows from a site in the city of Haifa on 16 June 2025 following a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles.
Photo:
Ahmad Gharabli / AFP
A Samoan security officer in Israel says businesses are starting to reopen in Jerusalem, following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Vincent Schimdt was instrumental in helping Samoan agricultural student Polino Falevaai return safely home.
Speaking to
Pacific Waves
, he said he was not sure but he believed there were still Pacific Islanders in the town with the agriculture school.
Both Israel and Iran had confirmed the ceasefire after it was
announced by US president Donald Trump
last week.
There were
early accusations and reports of violation
but it has since appeared to hold.
Schmidt said both countries are monitoring the situation, as is the US, and so far things were fine, but it's unpredictable.
"Things can happen at any time. Rockets can fly at any time. So here in Jerusalem, slowly, slowly, business opening up. I see some people, the houses, family, they start walking on the streets.
"There's no movements at all during the war."
Falevaai arrived in Apia on Saturday.
Schmidt said they had to look at getting her out via land travel rather than flying.
Polino Falevaai, holding cheque, at AICAT - the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training.
Photo:
Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa/Facebook
"I think that the hardest part is because airspace was locked down, so there was no more airlines due to depart and entering the airspace of Israel."
He said he understands it took her four days to get to Samoa.
"They have a road trip from her place .... actually go through the border, to cross the border down south of Israel, to go to Cairo.
"Knowing like all those places have a lot of checkpoints, a lot of military checkpoints; I think she went through that. And we keep telling her, like, hey, that's your way home."
Schmidt oversees security and said he stayed on top of communication.
"Make sure there's a bomb shelter for safety, you know, because I'm security here. So I was so concerned about our people, and especially her."
Meanwhile, the Solomon Islands government said their citizens in the Middle East are safe, and help is on the way.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka said they are working closely with Australian and Papua New Guinean diplomats.
There are
five students still in the country
who attended agricultural college in southern Israel.
Agovaka said there is also one student in Qatar and a number of workers in the United Arab Emirates.