The prime minister of Japan told the UN on Tuesday that he was “indignant” by recent remarks made by Israeli leaders and that Tokyo’s recognition of the State of Palestine was just a matter of time.
After over two years of conflict in Gaza, several nations, including Britain, Canada, and France, added their names this week, bringing the total number of UN members that recognize the State of Palestine to almost 80 percent.
“I feel strongly indignant at the statements made by senior Israeli government officials that appear to categorically reject the very notion of Palestinian state-building,” stated Shigeru Ishiba.
“The issue for our nation is not if or when to recognize a Palestinian state. It is impossible to tolerate the Israeli government’s ongoing unilateral acts,” he declared.
“I must state clearly that if further actions are taken that obstruct the realisation of a two-state solution, Japan will be compelled to take new measures in response,” he said.
The most recent steps to recognize Palestine come after the Israeli war in Gaza, which was triggered by the historic October 7, 2023, attack in Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
According to official estimates, the attack killed 1,219 Israelis, primarily civilians, and Washington has said under President Donald Trump that recognition is essentially rewarding Hamas for the attack.
According to numbers the UN considers credible, the health ministry in the Hamas-run region reports that 65,382 Palestinians, primarily civilians, have been killed by Israeli military operations in the almost two years since then.
Japan is a close ally of the United States and is home to over 54,000 US military troops. Japan is a member of the G7.
Singapore and South Korea have likewise refrained from officially acknowledging Palestine as a state in other parts of Asia.
Ishiba stated that the “terror inflicted by Hamas and the devastation in Gaza we are witnessing today have left many feeling deeply saddened.”
“What matters the most is that Palestine can exist in a sustainable manner, living side by side in peace with Israel,” Ishiba stated.
We extend an invitation to Palestine to take up the responsibilities of a responsible member of the global community. “The Palestinian side needs to set up a governance structure that guarantees responsibility,” he continued.
