May 21, 2021

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on May 20 issued a statement on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, demanding that Israel agree to an immediate ceasefire with Hamas and that the U.S. change its position working to block international community’s efforts for ceasefire. The full text of his statement is as follows:

SHII Kazuo
Chair, Japanese Communist Party
May 20, 2021
Tokyo

The latest Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in Palestine have resulted in massive destruction of buildings and hospitals, killing over 200 civilians including children and women, and forcing many people to become refugees. The Japanese Communist Party strongly demands that Israel agree to an immediate ceasefire.

Regarding the U.S. government support for Israel’s annexation policy targeting Palestine, it has recently opposed adopting a joint statement by the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire. We call the U.S. government to change its policy of blocking the international community's efforts calling for a ceasefire.

The current clash in the area was followed by Israel’s decision to forcibly evict Palestinians neighborhoods from near Old City in East Jerusalem which Israel occupies. As the Palestinians protested against this act of violation of international law, Hamas, an Islamist group in Gaza, fired rockets at Israel. Israel is countering the rocket attack with an overwhelmingly superior military force, which led to the worsening of an already volatile serious situation.

Indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including the one by Hamas, cannot be tolerated for any reason.

Above all, the root of the problem lies in Israel's persecution against Palestinians and its annexation of Palestinian territory in violation of international law. In order to resolve the situation, it is necessary to stop Israel’s illegal occupation and expansion of settlements in Palestinian territory.

The JCP supports the following demands: (1) Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, (2) realization of the right to self-determination which includes the Palestinians’ right to establish an independent state, and (3) creation of a mutual recognition to respect the right to coexistence. These basic principles have become international consensus in regard to peace in the Middle East as documented in a series of UN resolutions spanning decades.

We urge the international community to work to resolve the conflict in accordance with these preconditions.

The Japanese government supports a two-state solution whereby Israel and a future independent Palestinian state live side by side in peace and security. We call the Japanese government to actively encourage both the Israeli and U.S. governments to implement an immediate ceasefire.