Japan’s digital minister Kono Taro suggests it’s time to recognize Palestine

• Kono is considering allowing Japan to export weapons to fund increased defense spending.
• He supports the party’s stance on the alliance with the United States.
• Kono views increased cooperation with “like-minded countries” as essential to counter China’s expansionist.

Japan’s popular Digital Minister, Kono Taro, who is running for Prime Minister, says Japan should consider recognizing Palestine.

“Japan has been supporting the two-state solution for many, many years,” he told a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on Monday. “Maybe it’s time for us to consider recognizing Palestine as a state to make the point. Yes, we do have a good relationship with Israel, but we need to solve this humanitarian issue to make lasting peace in the region. What’s going on now is way too much.”

“I think Japan needs to do whatever it takes to support the people of Gaza and the West Bank. I would like to ask Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu how he plans to end the war. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but with 2 million people suffering that much, he could end the war. As soon as the fighting ends, we need to step up our support for the Gazan people and try to help them rebuild things.”

On the other hand, Kono is considering allowing Japan to export weapons to generate funds for the country’s increased defense spending. This topic has sparked controversy as some Japanese companies, collaborating with Israeli weapons firms, and face accusations of complicity in the Gaza genocide.

At 61, Kono is competing to become President of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party, a position that will also make him Prime Minister as current Prime Minister Kishida Fumio steps down.

Kono stated that during his tenure as Foreign Minister, he felt Japan should strengthen its relations with Middle Eastern countries due to the region’s significant impact on life in Japan. He also believes that Japan needs to transition away from fossil fuels and aims for the country to achieve energy self-sufficiency through renewable sources by 2050. However, he acknowledges that the growing electricity demand might require more than just restarting Japan’s nuclear plants to meet the demand.

“I think the first thing we need to do is we need to move away from fossil fuels,” he stated. “That’s something we need to do, and we need to increase our renewable energy.”

On the diplomatic front, Kono supports the party’s stance on the alliance with the United States. However, he worries that American politics will become increasingly volatile and that the U.S. might turn inward and adopt isolationist policies.

“Our priority is making good relations with the United States, whoever wins in November, and we need to maintain a dialogue with China,” said Kono, who criticized China for incursions around the disputed Senkaku Islands and for detaining Japanese citizens.

He views increased cooperation with “like-minded countries” as essential to countering China’s expansionist policies and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“We need to have some allies to keep the stability and the peace in everyone’s region,” he said. “I think we need to say that we will be responsible, we will share the burden of keeping peace and stability on this planet, and Japan needs to do whatever’s required.”

“I think the US-Japan security relationship is still the most fundamental base for our security and our defense, but we need to create some kind of collective forum to keep the stability and peace in Asia. Looking at the global situation, China, Russia, those dictatorships are now trying to change the status quo with force, and we shouldn’t allow that.”

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