As the two nations prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship, the AJC Asia Pacific Institute spoke with Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen about the evolution of the Israel-Japan relationship.
AJC CEO David Harris, responding to a Wall Street Journal essay by Israeli historian Benny Morris, points out that the mission of UNRWA, set up in 1949, made no reference to refugee resettlement, and its definition of a Palestinian refugee included future generations without any time limit. Question is why Unrwa is not under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The fundamental problem with the Amnesty International report is that it is disconnected from reality. Israel has nothing to do with apartheid, and apartheid has nothing to do with Israel.
The potential for further improvement of Jewish-Arab relations in Israel is promising, given the participation of an Arab party, Ra’am, for the first time in the governing coalition. The role of non-governmental organizations like Givat Haviva in shaping Jewish-Arab understanding and cooperation has long been and will continue to be an important factor in strengthening Israel’s democratic society.
By revoking resolution 3379, the UN determined that Zionism is not a form of racism, a determination it has not made regarding any other national movement. Clearly, this has been a setback for those seeking to use the UN as a platform to advance their extreme anti-Israel agenda. Will they learn from this experience and act differently in the future? Sadly, Israel’s adversaries have not relented.