April 26, 2024
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Japan Offers to Host Israeli-Palestinian Peace Summit Amid Jerusalem Fallout

(JNS) Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono offered to host an Israeli-Palestinian peace summit during his visit to the region this week, with Israeli officials agreeing to participate only if the U.S. is included.

“The Japanese are serious, and we will go anywhere anytime,” an Israeli official said of the proposed summit, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“It is in the hands of the Americans,” the official added. “We want them to be involved in the process, and if they agree and go, we will have no objections.”

Kono arrived in Israel on Monday. He has met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

The Japanese minister’s visit comes shortly after President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Japan, which voted in favor of a United Nations resolution that condemned the U.S. move, said it wants to play a constructive role in restarting the peace process.

Abbas said last week that he no longer considers the U.S. to be an “honest broker” for peace talks.

“I got the impression that both of the parties involved have no reluctance to negotiate,” Kono said after talks with Netanyahu. “I want to work on confidence-building and the creation of an environment where the two sides can sit and talk calmly.”

Kono’s visit also comes as economic ties between Israel and Japan are growing.

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