On Tuesday, Japan’s prime minister addressed the United Nations, stating that Tokyo’s recognition of Palestine is inevitable, expressing his ‘indignation’ at recent Israeli official comments.
Almost 80% of UN members now recognize Palestine, with countries like Britain, Canada, and France joining this week after nearly two years of conflict in Gaza.
‘I am strongly indignant about statements by senior Israeli officials that seemingly reject the concept of Palestinian statehood,’ said Shigeru Ishiba.
‘For Japan, the issue is not if we will recognize Palestine, but when. Israel’s ongoing unilateral actions are unacceptable,’ he declared.
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‘I must clearly state that if actions continue to block a two-state solution, Japan will be forced to implement new measures,’ he added.
The push to recognize Palestine follows the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Over nearly two years, Israeli military actions have resulted in 65,382 Palestinian deaths, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures deemed reliable by the UN.
As a G7 member, Japan is a close ally of the US and hosts around 54,000 US military personnel.
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea and Singapore have yet to recognize Palestine as a state.
Ishiba noted that the ‘terror by Hamas and the devastation in Gaza have left many deeply saddened.’
‘The most important thing is for Palestine to sustainably coexist in peace with Israel,’ Ishiba stated.
‘As Palestine assumes its role in the international community, it must establish governance systems ensuring accountability,’ he added.
