Daily Times

The problems facing Palestine did not start in 1948 when the state of Israel actually came into existence; instead they began in 1917 when the idea behind Israel was first conceived. It all began with the British foreign minister Arthur James Balfour sending a letter to Baron Jacob Rothschild, declaring British support for an independent Jewish state, on the land of Palestine. This came in light of Britain’s dire need for financial support during World War I.

In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly announced their Partition Plan, which divided Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state. The Jews readily accepted the plan, however the Palestinians and other Muslim states claimed a huge injustice had been done, and rejected it out right.

Japan has traditionally been among the countries to recognise Palestinian authority. It supports the two-nation solution to the dispute, but they also believe that the Palestinians must be allowed to exercise their right for self determination and endorse their desire of an independent homeland. As a result, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), headed by Yassar Arafat, had an office in Tokyo between 1977 and 1995. On the other hand, Japan also opened a Representative Office of Japan in Gaza in 1998, later leading to the re-opening of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Tokyo in 2003.

On December 8, 1949, the United Nations passed Resolution No. 302, which established a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Its mandate is to direct relief programs for displaced Palestinians around the world. Japan also provides funds to the Agency, recently announcing a contribution of $10 million, and later another contribution of $3 million in aid. Additionally, they provided over $4 million in aid to assist reform efforts by Palestine Authorities and to improve the living conditions of the displaced Palestinians.

Japan’s cooperation is not only restricted to financial aid. In 1993, they launched a program to provide technical training to Palestinians, along with various employment generating programs in the West Bank. They also supported the UN resolution that granted a non-Member Observer Status to Palestine in 2012, as well as vocally opposed the recent US policy of moving their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They have also criticised Israel for continuing to build housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, in order to neutralise Palestinian influence in the region.

Japan has initiated CPP and CEAPAD. The CPP is aimed at promoting regional cooperation in the Jordan Rift Valley region, while the CEAPAD is a consultative platform for Asian countries to discuss methods of assisting the Palestinians by mobilising their knowledge and resources

Japan has been helping Palestine due to the mutual interest the two countries share with one another. Both are in search of peaceful solutions to world problems, including the Palestine-Israel issue, and Japan is especially interested in keeping their relationship with Muslim majority nations in the Middle East strong, by supporting the common foe of Israel. As they lack many natural resources themselves, it is to these nations that they have turn to for resources like oil, and food. The Palestinians, on the other hand, need Japan’s great influence in the UN and NATO to coerce other nations to support their cause, while the help they provided to the Sri Lankan government, in relation to their Tamil problem, can be of great assistance to Palestine as well.

Recently the President of Palestine also acknowledged Japan’s efforts, telling their Foreign Minister that they welcomed the many programs initiated in their fractured country, like the Corridor for Peace and Prosperity (CPP) and the Conference on the Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinians Development (CEAPAD). The CPP is aimed at promoting regional cooperation in the Jordan Rift Valley region, while the CEAPAD is a consultative platform for Asian countries to discuss methods of assisting the Palestinians by mobilising their knowledge and resources.

Japan can have a huge say in the ultimate solution to the Palestine-Israel issue. Their close friendship with the US can help in convincing their government to support the Palestinian cause, while their status as a neutral nation can also help them become intermediates in this conflict, especially considering that they enjoy cordial relations with both sides.

Ultimately, both the Kashmir and Palestine issues are a blight on the United Nations. These disputes question the role of the countries that oppose peaceful resolutions to world issues, and they should do more in finding a resolution for the plight of the Palestinian people as soon as possible.

The writer is an author and has a doctorate in Political Science

Published in Daily Times, July 13^th 2018.