Japan won’t recognise a Palestinian state given US ties, Asahi reports

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TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will not recognise a Palestinian state for now, probably to maintain relations with the United States and to avoid a hardening of Israel’s attitude, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified government sources.

Several governments, including those in Britain, France, Canada and Australia, have said they will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly this month, adding international pressure on Israel over its actions in the territory.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to skip a September 22 meeting on a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians during the UN gathering in New York, Asahi said.

The U.S. had prompted Japan to forgo the recognition of a Palestinian state through several diplomatic channels, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had strongly urged his Japanese counterpart to recognise it, Kyodo news agency reported last week.

Japan has been conducting a “comprehensive assessment, including appropriate timing and modalities, of the issue of recognising Palestinian statehood,” Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news briefing on Tuesday.

At a UN meeting on Friday, Japan was among 142 nations that voted in favour of a declaration outlining “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution.

Within the Group of Seven nations, German and Italian officials have called an immediate recognition of Palestine “counterproductive”.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Neil Fullick)