Japan will not recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed on Friday.
In a call, Sa’ar expressed appreciation to his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, for Tokyo’s “responsible decision.”
The top Israeli diplomat also detailed the arrest of a terror cell in the Ramallah area that had produced rockets intended for launch at Israeli communities.
“Unfortunately, the [P.A.] is not upholding its commitments to fight terror,” said Sa’ar.
On Wednesday, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun daily cited anonymous government sources as saying that the Asian nation would not recognize “Palestine” for now, a decision likely taken to maintain relations with the Trump administration and to avoid a hardening of Jerusalem’s stance.
Washington reportedly asked Tokyo via multiple diplomatic channels to refrain from recognition, countering strong pressure from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
Speaking at a news briefing on Tuesday, the Japanese foreign minister said that his government had been carrying out a “comprehensive assessment, including appropriate timing and modalities, of the issue of recognizing Palestinian statehood.”
