Japan will not recognize the State of Palestine for the time being, reportedly to preserve its close relationship with the United States and avoid tensions with Israel, Japan’s Asahi newspaper reported on September 17, citing unnamed government sources.
Several governments — including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Australia — have expressed intentions to recognize Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly this month, adding to international pressure on Israel over its actions in the occupied territories.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to skip a meeting on a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine scheduled for September 22 on the sidelines of the UN assembly in New York, according to Asahi.
U.S. diplomatic channels have reportedly been used to advise Japan to delay recognizing Palestine.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was reported last week by Kyodo News to have urged his Japanese counterpart to proceed with recognition.
“Japan is conducting a comprehensive assessment, including on the appropriate timing and method, regarding the issue of recognizing the State of Palestine,” Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a press briefing on September 16.
At a UN meeting on September 12, Japan was among 142 nations voting in favor of a declaration setting “concrete, time-bound, and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution.
Within the Group of Seven (G7), German and Italian officials have described the immediate recognition of Palestine as “unproductive.”
