Overview

• Japan does not plan to recognize a Palestinian state for now, according to Asahi reporting cited by Reuters.
• Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to skip a September 22 meeting in New York focused on the two-state solution, Japanese media report.
• Kyodo reports that the United States urged Tokyo through multiple channels not to advance recognition at this stage, while France’s foreign minister pressed Japan to proceed.
• Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Japan is conducting a comprehensive assessment on the timing and modalities of possible recognition.
• Japan voted for a UN General Assembly declaration urging tangible, timebound steps toward a two-state outcome, as several Western governments signal plans to recognize Palestine and Germany maintains that the timing is not right.