Japan Not to Recognize Palestinian Statehood for Now

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan will not recognize Palestinian statehood for the time being, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a press conference Friday. Earlier in the day, he held telephone talks with the foreign ministers of the United States, Israel and Palestine to convey Japan’s position. Iwaya will explain Tokyo’s view on the matter at a related summit meeting to be co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia in New York on Monday. The Japanese foreign chief will visit New York for six days from Monday to attend the ongoing U.N. General Assembly session. “We determined not to recognize (a Palestinian state) at this moment in time,” Iwaya told the press conference. The decision is believed to have been made in light of Israel hardening its stance after many nations expressed support for Palestinian statehood, as well as U.S. opposition to the state recognition. Iwaya also said that Japan will “continue to comprehensively study the matter with serious interest while closely monitoring any changes in the situation.” “The current Palestinian situation could undermine the premise of a two-state solution,” in which Palestine and Israel coexist peacefully, he said. Emphasizing the importance of Israel stopping its military actions and assistance being provided to the Palestinian Authority, Iwaya said that Japan will “continue to play a realistic and active role in bringing us even one step closer to the two-state solution.” He criticized Israel for expanding its military operations, saying that such actions are “putting Palestine in an unprecedented crisis.” “If Israel takes further action to block the path to the realization of the two-state solution, we would have to take a new approach,” he said, apparently with in mind the possibilities of recognizing a Palestinian state in the future and imposing sanctions on Israel. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]