By Franz-Stefan Gady
By forging closer ties with Israel, Shinzo Abe is trying to make Japan geopolitically more relevant.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s three-day visit to Israel was cut short and ended on January 20, due to an ongoing hostage crisis. The terror group Islamic State (IS) is threatening to kill two Japanese nationals within 72 hours should their demand of a $200 million ransom not be met. The deadline expires this Friday.
As Shinzo Abe admits, “This is a very tough race against time, but the government will do its utmost… I have ordered the government to use all diplomatic channels and routes possible… to ensure the release of the two people.” Yet, he also added, ““Japan will never yield to terrorism. Japan will do its best in the battle against the cowardice of terrorism, hand in hand with the international community.”
While in the Middle East, the Japanese prime minister had pledged $200 (million) in non-military aid for regional countries affected by the rise of the terror group IS, stating that, “Japan is determined to contribute even more proactively to world peace and stability.” Shinzo Abe is vehemently trying to push Japan towards a more pro-active role on the international stage. During his time in Israel, Abe and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu renewed their commitment to expand Israel-Japanese cooperation on a number of issues, including in the field of counter-terrorism.
Read the full story at The Diplomat