Japan is Arabs’ favored Middle East peace mediator, poll finds

Deputy Representative of Japan in Palestine, Makoto Hirose (C), attends a kite flying event with Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. (AFP)
Updated 27 October 2019
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Japan is Arabs’ favored Middle East peace mediator, poll finds

  • Japan was ranked first by 56 percent of respondents, followed by EU and Russia
  • Jordanians seen to have the lowest support for the US as a Middle East mediator

DUBAI: Japan could potentially be a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At least that is what the majority of Arabs in a YouGov survey hope for.

The study looked at Arabs’ perception of Japan, polling the views of 3,033 people from the GCC, the Levant and North Africa.
When asked to name the most neutral mediator for a possible peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, Japan was ranked first by 56 percent of Arab respondents, followed by the EU at 15 percent and Russia at 13 percent.
This is an overwhelming majority, considering the US only received 11 percent approval and the UK 5 percent. 
“The findings of the survey are not surprising because of the Japanese approach to the region and the nature of Japanese society that puts Tokyo in that specific light,” said Theodore Karasik, senior adviser at Gulf State Analytics in Washington, DC.
“Japan’s approach to the Middle East earns respect from many different stakeholders. It is a mix between the politics of accommodation combined with the evolution of Japanese business practices, especially by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and other agencies.”
Support for mediation by Japan is highest in the older age group: 66 percent of those aged 40 and above chose Japan, compared to 45 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds.
The older age group were less likely to support the US as a mediator, with only 6 percent. 

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In terms of nationalities, Jordanians had the lowest support of the US as a mediator, with only 4 percent considering them a neutral mediator, and 73 percent choosing Japan.

Palestinians also ranked Japan high on their list – at 50 percent – followed by the EU, which 27 percent of Palestinians said would be a good mediator.
The figure is significantly higher than other Arab countries, of which on average only 15 percent selected the EU as their top choice.
“The findings are not a bit surprising,” said Albadr Alshateri, politics professor at the National Defense College in Abu Dhabi.
“Japan has always maintained an equidistance from the belligerents. It recognized Palestinian rights and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) early on, while maintaining friendly ties with the Arab world.”
He said Japan extended a lot of aid to Palestinians through many programs such as Assistance to the Palestinian refugees, to the Gaza Strip, socially vulnerable people and for improving financial conditions.
“Japan has no stake in the Arab-Israeli conflict one way or the other, thus appearing neutral in such conflict,” he told Arab News. “Secondly, Japan’s geographical distance from the Middle East allows for a more detached approach to the conflict.”
Palestine is not the only Arab state that has been aided by Japan. In May 2016, the Japanese government announced it would accept a maximum of 150 Syrians as students over five years with the aim of offering educational opportunities to Syrian youth, who will contribute to Syria’s future reconstruction when it takes place.
For this purpose the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) established the program “Japanese Initiative for the future of Syrian Refugees” in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Japan has also contributed $7 million this year for emergency assistance in Syria.

In the survey 60 percent of Syrians picked Japan as a potential mediator, over Russia at 21 percent. Nationals from the Levant strongly supported Japan in a mediator role, at 63 percent, whereas only 6 percent selected the US.
“There is no pro-Israeli constituency within Japan; and no Israelis are of Japanese descent,” Alshateri noted.
“Whereas Russia is exactly the opposite: a large number of Israelis are of Russian descent of recent and older immigration. Likewise, with Europeans who have greater skin in the game.”
Looking to the future, Karasik said Japan could become a mediator on the Israeli-Palestinian issue because of Tokyo’s balanced approach. In addition, because of Japanese interests in the region in infrastructure and investment, he believes Tokyo may be a good candidate.
“It also helps, of course, that Japan has excellent relations with all “area” states, which puts it in an interesting position,” Dr. Karasik said.
“Investment by Gulf States in Japan and Tokyo’s investment in the region make for a good balance in approaching the Israeli-Palestinian issue from the East without a Russia or a China fully involved, although both Moscow and Beijing will have much to say in this scenario.”
Karasik believes Japan’s entry into this arena is likely to be halted by Moscow since the Kremlin wishes to be the driver of any settlement.
“But if Russia sees an advantage in Japan leading such talks, then there may be a geopolitical bonus in another arena, probably in Northeast Asia,” he said.
In Alshateri’s opinion, Japan could play an auxiliary role in the mediation of the conflict, given its economic and financial muscle and diplomatic weight.
However, he believes it lacks leverage on the principle protagonist — Israel — to persuade it to make the necessary concessions to obtain peace.
“Japan understands that the conflict is quite radioactive, and perhaps will avoid being entangled in a process that it will reap no benefits from,” he said.
“The sensitivity of the conflict for the US is all-obvious for anyone to attempt at resolution. Last but not least, Japan has enormous interest in oil, and oil producers are distancing themselves from the conflict, to put it mildly.”
Given all of these factors, he concluded that one cannot be very sanguine about Japan or anybody else’s mediation in this “rather intractable” conflict.
“Japan’s role will be welcomed by Arabs and Palestinians for all these reasons,” he said. “Whether it will bear fruits is something else.”


Residents of Israeli settlement ‘Trump Heights’ welcome Donald’s return to US presidency

Updated 6 sec ago
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Residents of Israeli settlement ‘Trump Heights’ welcome Donald’s return to US presidency

  • During his first term, Donald Trump became the first and only foreign leader to recognize Israel’s control of the Golan Heights
  • Trump’s election has inspired hope in the community that it will attract more members and also more funding for security improvements
RAMAT TRUMP, Golan Heights: Israeli residents of “Trump Heights” are welcoming the election of their namesake, hoping Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency will breathe new life into this tiny, remote settlement in the central Golan Heights.
During his first term, Trump became the first and only foreign leader to recognize Israel’s control of the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel thanked him by rebranding this outpost after him.
But a large-scale influx of new residents never materialized after that 2019 ceremony, and just a couple dozen families live in Trump Heights, or “Ramat Trump” in Hebrew. Job opportunities are limited, and Israel’s more than yearlong war against Hezbollah militants in nearby Lebanon has added to the sense of isolation.
Trump’s election has inspired hope in the community that it will attract more members and also more funding for security improvements.
“Maybe it can raise more awareness and maybe some support to help here and help our kids here,” said Yarden Freimann, Trump Heights’ community manager.
Ori Kallner, head of the Golan’s regional council, showed off dozens of plots of land, replete with new asphalt roads, lampposts and utility lines, that residents have prepared for future housing developments.
“President Trump’s return to the White House definitely puts the town in the headlines,” he said.
Hanging on while war rages nearby
Kallner stood next to a metal statue of an eagle and a menorah, symbolizing the United States and Israel, as Israeli warplanes flew overhead. Two explosions from rockets fired from Lebanon punched the hills nearby, and just across the border in Lebanon, plumes of smoke rose into the air from Israeli airstrikes.
An enormous sign with the settlement’s name in Hebrew and English gleamed in the sun, while two large sunbaked metal flags of Israel and the United States were faded almost beyond recognition.
Surrounded by ashen ruins of villages fled by Syrians in the 1967 war, the town is perched above the Hula Valley, where Israel has amassed tanks, artillery and troops for its fight in Lebanon. Most towns in the valley have been evacuated. Trump Heights sends its kids to a makeshift daycare in a nearby settlement after the government shuttered all schools in the region in the wake of the Oct. 1 invasion of Lebanon.
“We find ourselves hanging by our fingernails to be in our own community, not be evacuated, and on the other hand, we cannot work, we cannot send our kids to any kind of an education system,” said Freimann.
Trump Heights is only about 12 kilometers from Lebanon and Syria. Alerts for incoming fire gives residents about 30 seconds’ head start to get to a bomb shelter.
Trump broke with other leaders on the Golan Heights
Israel annexed the Golan, a strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel, in 1981 in a move that is not internationally recognized.
That changed in March 2019 when Trump, without notice, tweeted that the US would “fully recognize” Israel’s control of the territory. His announcement drew widespread condemnation from the international community, which considers the Golan to be occupied Syrian territory and Israel’s settlements to be illegal. The Biden administration left the decision intact, but the US remains the lone country to recognize the Israeli annexation.
Kallner said he hopes Trump will now persuade European countries to recognize Israeli sovereignty there.
According to Israeli figures, the Golan is home to about 50,000 people — roughly half of them Jewish Israelis and the other half Arab Druze, many of whom still consider themselves Syrians under occupation.
Israel has encouraged and promoted settlements in the Golan, and the Druze residents operate farms and a tourism and restaurant sector popular with Israelis. But the area has struggled to develop because of its remoteness, several hours from Israel’s economic center in Tel Aviv.
That economic hardship has only worsened during the war as the hospitality sector cratered. On July 28, a rocket killed 12 Druze children on a soccer field in the city of Majdal Shams, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away. Israel invaded Lebanon months later.
In June 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led an inauguration ceremony for Trump Heights. The US ambassador at the time, David Friedman, noted that the ceremony came days after Trump’s birthday and said: “I can’t think of a more appropriate and a more beautiful birthday present.”
As president, Trump was close with Netanyahu
The Golan recognition was among a series of diplomatic gifts that Trump delivered to Israel during his first term. They included recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the American embassy to the contested city, and a series of diplomatic agreements with Arab countries known as the Abraham Accords.
He has vowed to bring peace to the tumultuous region during his second term, but has not said how.
Netanyahu enjoyed a close relationship with Trump during his first term but ran afoul of the former president when he congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 victory. The Israeli prime minister announced Tuesday that he was one of the first foreign leaders to call the president-elect and congratulate him on his victory. An official in his office, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal communications, said aides were upbeat and giddy.
“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” the Israeli leader said in a statement. “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
At Trump Heights, Kallner was optimistic too: “The Golan community is strong and resilient, and people that want to come and live here are from the same material. I believe we will overcome these challenging times and won’t stop growing.”

US says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms

Updated 58 min 40 sec ago
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US says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms

  • US has given Israel until Nov. 13 to improve humanitarian situation in Gaza
  • The letter calls for a minimum of 350 trucks per day to be allowed into Gaza

WASHINGTON: Israel has informed the United States that it will open an additional crossing for aid into Gaza, the State Department said Thursday, as a US-imposed deadline looms next week.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have given Israel until November 13 to improve the humanitarian situation in the war-besieged Gaza Strip or risk the withholding of some military assistance from the United States, Israel’s biggest supporter.
They made the demands in a letter before Tuesday’s election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to give freer rein to Israel.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Israel, after recently reopening the Erez crossing, has informed the United States that they “hope to open an additional new crossing at Kissufim” in “the next few days.”
“We have continued to press them, and we have seen them, including in the past few days since the election, take additional steps,” Miller told reporters.
He stopped short of saying how the United States would assess Israel’s compliance with the aid demands.
In the letter, Blinken and Austin had urged Israel to “consistently” let aid through four major crossings and to open a fifth crossing.
Kissufim, near a kibbutz across from southern Gaza that was attacked in the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault that sparked the war, has mostly been in disuse except by the military since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
The letter called for a minimum of 350 trucks per day to be allowed into Gaza. Miller said 229 trucks entered on Tuesday.
Outgoing President Joe Biden has repeatedly pressed Israel to improve humanitarian aid and protect civilians, while mostly stopping short of using leverage such as cutting off weapons.
Miller said Blinken hoped to keep using the rest of his term to press for an end to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.


US says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms

Children stare at the destruction following an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on November
Updated 58 min 15 sec ago
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US says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms

  • The US has given Israel until November 13 to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza
  • Letter calls for a minimum of 350 trucks per day to be allowed into Gaza

WASHINGTON: Israel has informed the United States that it will open an additional crossing for aid into Gaza, the State Department said Thursday, as a US-imposed deadline looms next week.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have given Israel until November 13 to improve the humanitarian situation in the war-besieged Gaza Strip or risk the withholding of some military assistance from the United States, Israel’s biggest supporter.
They made the demands in a letter before Tuesday’s election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to give freer rein to Israel.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Israel, after recently reopening the Erez crossing, has informed the United States that they “hope to open an additional new crossing at Kissufim” in “the next few days.”
“We have continued to press them, and we have seen them, including in the past few days since the election, take additional steps,” Miller told reporters.
He stopped short of saying how the United States would assess Israel’s compliance with the aid demands.
In the letter, Blinken and Austin had urged Israel to “consistently” let aid through four major crossings and to open a fifth crossing.
Kissufim, near a kibbutz across from southern Gaza that was attacked in the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault that sparked the war, has mostly been in disuse except by the military since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
The letter called for a minimum of 350 trucks per day to be allowed into Gaza. Miller said 229 trucks entered on Tuesday.
Outgoing President Joe Biden has repeatedly pressed Israel to improve humanitarian aid and protect civilians, while mostly stopping short of using leverage such as cutting off weapons.
Miller said Blinken hoped to keep using the rest of his term to press for an end to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.


France mulling new sanctions on Israeli settlers, minister says in West Bank

Updated 07 November 2024
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France mulling new sanctions on Israeli settlers, minister says in West Bank

  • “France has been a driving force to establish the first sanction regime at the European level,” Barrot said
  • Barrot renewed France’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

RAMALLAH: France is mulling new sanctions on those enabling the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, regarded as illegal under international law, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on a visit to the territory on Thursday.
“France has been a driving force to establish the first sanction regime at the European level targeting individuals or entities, either actors or accomplices of settlement activities,” Barrot said after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah.
“This regime has been activated two times already and we’re working on a third batch of sanctions targeting these activities that again are illegal with respect to international law.”
Barrot renewed France’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and warned settlement activities “threaten the political perspective that can ensure durable peace for Israel and Palestine.”
Before meeting Abbas, Barrot visited the adjacent town of Al-Bireh, where Israeli settlers set fire to 20 cars on Monday, damaging a nearby building.
After speaking with residents and local officials at the scene, Barrot noted that the attack took place in a part of the West Bank where the Palestinians were supposed to enjoy both civil and security control under the Oslo Accords of the 1990s.
“These attacks from extremist and violent settlers are not only completely inexcusable, not only contrary to international law, but they weaken the perspective of a two-state solution,” Barrot said.
Ramallah and Al-Bireh governor Laila Ghannam expressed outrage that settler attacks were “taking place in full view and hearing of the entire silent international community.”
“Perhaps today, with the visit of the French foreign minister, there will be a spotlight here,” she told AFP.
Speaking in Jerusalem earlier Thursday, Barrot said he saw prospects for ending Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon after Donald Trump’s re-election, citing the Republican’s “wish to see the end of the Middle East’s endless wars” as well as recent “tactical successes” for Israel.


Moroccan population grows to 36.8 million in 2024

The Moroccan population grew by 2.98 million since the last census in 2014. (AFP)
Updated 07 November 2024
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Moroccan population grows to 36.8 million in 2024

RABAT: The Moroccan population grew to 36.82 million by September 2024, according to the preliminary results of a national census, the spokesman for the government said on Thursday.
Compared with the most recent census in 2014, the Moroccan population grew by 2.98 million or 8.8 percent, spokesman Mustapha Baitas told reporters.
The number of households grew to 9.27 million by September 2024, up 26.8 percent compared to 2014, while the number of foreigners living in the country increased to 148,152, up 71.8 percent, he said.