December 14, 2023

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on December 13 issued a statement after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. The full text of the statement is as follows:

The Japanese Communist Party welcomes the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Gaza Crisis as an important step toward the realization of a ceasefire

December 13, 2023
Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo

The United Nations General Assembly in its Emergency Special session on December 12 adopted a resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to avert a catastrophe in the Gaza Strip by a large margin, with 153 countries, or around 80% of all UN member states, voting in favor. Only ten countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against the resolution, showcasing their isolated position in the international political arena. Japan supported the resolution. The adoption of the UNGA resolution is a result of global calls and movements urging the need to resolve the Gaza crisis in a humane and reasonable manner. The Japanese Communist Party wholeheartedly welcomes it as an important step forward toward the realization of a ceasefire.

The JCP has done all it can do in its power to help address the crisis, issuing a statement underscoring the need to stop genocide in Gaza and demanding an immediate ceasefire, making efforts internationally to this effect, pushing the Japanese government to work more proactively to properly address the issue in Diet meetings, and thus contributing to the positive development at the UN General Assembly. The JCP will continue to exert its utmost effort to help achieve an immediate ceasefire as early as possible by making full use of the resolution.

The overwhelming support of the resolution among UN member nations has highlighted how Israel and the U.S. are isolated in international politics, with the former carrying out large-scale military attacks against the Gaza Strip in violation of international law and the latter supporting Israel politically and militarily and standing accused of complicity in war crimes. The JCP demands that both parties listen to the call by the international community and agree to an immediate ceasefire to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The JCP also strongly demands that the Japanese government stop being subservient to the U.S. administration and instead strongly urge Washington to abide by the UNGA resolution.