Japan imposes financial sanctions on Israeli settlers in West Bank
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"We are determined to continue close cooperation with the international community, including the G7 countries, to call on Israel to fully stop the settling activities," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
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Israeli occupation soldiers near the West Bank city of Tulkarm where two Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli forces on October 5, 2023. (AFP)
For the first time, Japan has imposed asset-freeze sanctions against four Israeli settlers in connection with their violence in the West Bank, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
"For the purpose of contributing to the international efforts for achieving international peace aimed to resolve issues surrounding violent acts by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and in view of the measures taken by other major countries, the Government of Japan has introduced the following measures under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, based on the Cabinet Understanding of 'Asset Freeze for Israeli settlers involved in violent acts as of July 23, 2024,'" the ministry said in a statement.
The financial sanctions are composed of restrictions on payments and capital transactions.
"We are determined to continue close cooperation with the international community, including the G7 countries, to call on Israel to fully stop the settling activities," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, highlighting the "violent acts and destruction of property by some extremists often lead to human casualties and have become a grave problem pushing Palestinians out of their homes."
On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion regarding the legal consequences of the occupation of Palestine, confirming the occupation's settlement actions breach international law and warrant annexation. The UN High Court demanded that "Israel" cease its illegal activities and occupation of Palestinian territories while calling on the regime to pay reparations for its damages.
Japan has, to an extent, shown its support for the people of Palestine and has criticized the Israeli occupation during the regime's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial
Dozens of countries have been invited to attend the August 9 event in Japan on the anniversary of the US nuclear attack in 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki – but "Israel" was not one of them.
Nagasaki's mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters on June 3, "..as for Israel, the situation is changing day by day... so we have put sending an invitation letter on hold," adding that there were concerns over protests if "Israel" attended.
"Given the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza, and public opinion in the international community, there are concerns about the risk of unexpected incidents during the ceremony," which should be "safe and smooth," Suzuki said, noting, "As the Ukraine situation has not changed, we are not inviting Russia or Belarus" either.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian envoy has been invited to the ceremony, as reported by local officials to AFP on June 4, and Japanese media commented that usually, both sides are invited.
Suzuki relayed to the press that his city penned a letter to the Israeli embassy in which "we call for an immediate ceasefire" and that "we will issue an invitation swiftly" if Nagasaki officials decide that inviting "Israel" won't pose a problem.
In contrast, Hiroshima invited "Israel" for this year's memorial ceremony but called for a "ceasefire as soon as possible and resolution through dialogue" in a letter, according to a city official.
Local media reported that Hiroshima has never invited a Palestinian envoy to its ceremony.
Residents and peace activists have denounced the invitation amid the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, as Russia and Belarus have been barred from the ceremony for three consecutive years due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News earlier this month.
Japan considering formal recognition of Palestinian state: FM
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has stated that Japan is considering formally recognizing the State of Palestine, contingent on the progress of the ongoing "peace process" in the Middle East.
During a meeting in Tokyo on July 14, the 71-year-old Japanese politician stated that her government supports the proposed "two-state solution" to the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestine. She expressed that Japan understands the Palestinians' aspiration to establish an independent sovereign state and supports the ongoing efforts to achieve this goal.
The top diplomat stated, “with regard to recognition of the Palestinian state, we want to continue to address this issue comprehensively, taking into account how to advance the peace process."
US imposes sanctions on Israeli 'extremists' over West Bank violence
The United States is "Israel's" largest support in terms of military and financial aid for its genocide in Gaza. However, on July 10, the US slapped fresh sanctions on Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians, in addition to financial restrictions on four West Bank settlement outposts.
The State Department also blacklisted Lehava, which it defined as the "largest violent extremist organization in Israel" with over 10,000 members.
The use of the term "extremist" reflects an attempt to draw an allegedly distinct line between Israeli settlers and "extremist settlers".
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, "We strongly encourage the government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable," detailing that while these steps remain absent, "we will continue to impose our own accountability measures."
