Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya speaks at a press conference in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Sept. 14, 2025. (Kyodo)
TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Friday that recognizing Palestinian statehood would not by itself resolve the conflict, signaling Tokyo’s cautious stance amid the Gaza Strip’s humanitarian crisis.
He also said recognition requires a governing structure able to control all Palestinian territories, citing the presence of Hamas, the Islamist group fighting Israel, as a challenge to achieving such conditions.
“Recognition alone would not resolve all issues,” Iwaya said at a press conference in his home constituency of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, adding the matter is “under comprehensive consideration.”
On the Palestinian issue, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, seen as pro-Israel, opposes recognition, while France, Britain and Canada are expected to formally endorse it at an international conference on Sept. 22 at U.N. headquarters.
Iwaya added, “Israel has further hardened its stance in response to the international community’s moves.”
Resource-poor Japan, highly dependent on the Middle East for crude oil imports, has traditionally pursued a balanced diplomacy between Muslim nations and Israel.
AloJapan.com