Israel Assails Japan’s Pro-arab Stance

The Foreign Ministry sharply assailed Japan for the pro-Arab stance it adopted last week and urged the Tokyo government to reconsider and revise “the new principles it has now formulated for its Middle Eastern policy.”

An official statement charging Japan with knowingly adopting the “distorted” Arab interpretation of Resolution 242 in surrender to Arab economic threats and pressure, was released here today. At the same time a similar note was handed to the Japanese Foreign Minister in Tokyo by the Israeli Ambassador, Eytan Ronn. The Foreign Ministry statement expressed deep regret at the Japanese move. “We had not anticipated Japan responding to threats for that can only invite further threats,” it said.

The statement noted that Resolution 242 never said–as the Japanese statement contended–that Israel must withdraw from all of the occupied areas, or from any of them, in the absence of prior negotiation and agreement on secure and recognized boundaries, Nor did it demand “recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” as the Japanese had, “The rights of the Palestinian people as interpreted by many Arab governments and organizations means the elimination of Israel,” the statement said.

The formal note to the Japanese government said: “It is distressing to find a power like Japan yielding to the pressure of our (Arab) enemies and to their threats against the industry and economy of Japan and the sovereignty of free nations presuming to dictate changes in their policy toward Israel. It is hoped that the government of Japan will reconsider the new principles which it has now formulated for its Middle Eastern policy and will see its way to revise them in the interests of a lasting peace.”