With Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru set to step down in Oct., he delivered an unprecedentedly strong warning to Israel. Ishiba said Japan could take new measures if Israel continues to obstruct the "two-state solution." He also made clear that recognizing a Palestinian state is not a question of "whether" but of when. Marking the 80th year since the end of World War II, he stressed the need to face history and strongly urged reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which has fallen into dysfunction.
In a speech at the General Debate of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York on the 23rd (local time), Ishiba said he felt "strong anger" at remarks by senior Israeli officials that appeared to reject the very establishment of a Palestinian state. He said, "For Japan, recognizing a Palestinian state is a matter of timing, not of whether," criticizing that "the unilateral actions the Israeli government continues to take can never be tolerated." He warned, "If additional measures emerge that obstruct the realization of the two-state solution, Japan makes clear it will have no choice but to devise new countermeasures."
This marks a significant departure from the previous Japanese government stance of holding off on recognition out of consideration for the U.S. administration, which opposes recognizing a Palestinian state. It clearly signaled Japan's intent to join the international trend, recently seen in the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, of recognizing a Palestinian state. Ishiba also said he "condemns in the strongest terms" the recent ground assault on Gaza City by the Israeli military. At the same time, he urged Palestine to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and to establish a responsible governing system.
Ishiba went on to sharply rebuke the UNSC in his speech for failing to function. Citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he pointed out that "the United Nations is failing to make necessary decisions at critical junctures, as resolutions cannot be adopted due to the veto power exercised by permanent members of the Security Council." He argued that reforms should be carried out to increase the number of both permanent and nonpermanent seats on the council.
The Security Council consists of five permanent members with veto power—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia—and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms. Japan, along with Germany, India, and Brazil, has consistently called for an expanded council with the goal of securing a permanent seat, but has repeatedly failed.
He also shared his reflections on the 80th year since the war's end. Ishiba said, "No country can open a bright future without facing history head-on," adding that Japan has been able to work for world peace thanks to the spirit of tolerance shown by Asian countries that accepted Japan after the war. He appealed for "solidarity over division, tolerance over confrontation." He added that Japan will "reject totalitarianism and irresponsible populism and will not fall into narrow nationalism." Regarding North Korea, he called its nuclear and missile development a serious threat to international peace and urged full implementation of UNSC resolutions for complete denuclearization.
Meanwhile, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ishiba attended a reception hosted in the evening by U.S. President Donald Trump and the first lady and had a brief conversation with Trump. Ishiba expressed gratitude to Trump for friendship and trust and said, "The importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance for world peace and prosperity will remain unchanged going forward." The leaders of the two countries welcomed that relations contributing to the national interests of both sides are progressing steadily and positively. In addition, Ishiba held separate meetings with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the crown prince of Kuwait, among others.