Japan has sent a message of sympathy to Israeli victims of Iraqi missile attacks and has promised to improve its relations with Israel once the war in the Persian Gulf has ended.
The message was delivered here Sunday by Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hisashi Owada, who is on a brief official visit, a rare occurrence given the cool relations between the two countries.
The visit comes at a time when officials here feel slighted by Tokyo’s failure to include Israel on a list of countries affected by the war to which it plans to offer substantial financial aid.
The Japanese official explained the aid was for developing countries and that Israel is regarded as a developed country and therefore not entitled to it.
Foreign Minister David Levy told his guest that Israel expects an end to Japanese compliance, on both the governmental and private levels, with the Arab economic boycott against Israel.
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