State Recognition of Palestine Is Matter of “When”: Iwaya

New York, Sept. 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan recognizing Palestine as a state is “not a matter of ‘if,’ but of ‘when,'” Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a high-level meeting on a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel in New York on Monday. During the conference, five countries including France declared their state recognition of Palestine. About 80 pct of the 193 U.N. member states have now recognized Palestine as a state. Last week, Iwaya said that Japan would refrain from recognizing Palestine as a state for the time being. “Japan has consistently supported a two-state solution,” Iwaya said in his speech at the conference, held at the U.N. headquarters. He indicated that Japan will continue to play a realistic and proactive role in achieving this solution. The top Japanese diplomat argued that the humanitarian situation in Gaza “has reached an extremely grave and alarming juncture that threatens to erode the very foundations of a two-state solution.” He condemned Israeli military operations and called on the country to cease all unilateral measures, while also urging the Islamic group Hamas to release all hostages and disarm. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]