● Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa says her country is considering plans to formally recognize the State of Palestine.
● Recently, a controversy sparked a debate over the legitimacy of boycotting Israel.
Japan may soon join the list of countries that officially recognise Palestine as a State.
The announcement follows the call from Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit to Japan for this recognition, during the the 5th Japan-Arab Economic Forum.
Japan has been supporting a two-state solution and is appalled by the current genocide in the occupied territories.
Not long before this announcement, a huge debate over the question of the boycott of Israel has been at the centre of attention in the country.
An Israeli tourist who had reserved a room at the popular Hotel Material in Kyoto, Japan, received a WhatsApp message from an employee of the hotel.
The message said the following:
We are sorry to inform you that, due to war crimes being committed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) members in the conflict taking place in Gaza between Israel and Palestine, we are not able to accept reservations from persons we believe might have ties to the Israeli army
The Israeli traveller made a complaint to the Israeli embassy in Tokyo and was able to book another hotel.
The Israeli embassy complained of discrimination and the city of Kyoto’s government reprimanded the hotel for breaching Japan’s Hotel Business Act, which regulates the hospitality industry.
The hotel justified its action and expressed its concerns about the situation in Palestine. This was their way to show their solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Israel has a direct flight between Tel Aviv and Tokyo and views Japan as a safe and welcoming destination for Israelis.
However, since the beginning of the genocide, the Japanese have been very persistent and vocal in their opposition to Israel’s violence against innocent civilians.
Even though Israel views Japan as an economic partner, the country imports 90% of its oil from the Middle East and is very careful not to upset any parties.
Japan has been actively providing assistance to the Palestinians. During 1993–2002, economic aid was provided, totaling US$630 million, at an annual average of US$85 million, through UNRWA, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.
However, since the mid-2010s, a series of investments have occurred between Japan and Israel, strengthening the ties between the two countries.
Public opinion in Japan is quite supportive of the Palestinians though and in May 2024, a protest was organised in front of the US embassy in Tokyo.
The atrocious actions of the zionist state have forced several countries to condemn it and side with the Palestinians.
Israel has for sure lost the war in the media while the resilience of the Palestinians has become a lesson to the world.
