Japan and Israel: an evaluation of relationship-building in the context of Japan's Middle East policy

Abstract

This article evaluates relationship-building between Israel and Japan from 1952 to the present in the context of Japan's Middle East policy as a whole, while focusing on the period in which this relationship became closer and complementary, from the mid-1980s to the present. Two central elements are detected as major influences on Israeli–Japanese relations: Japan's compliance with the Arab boycott of Israel, and Japan's bilateral relations with the US. Nevertheless, in contrast to previous studies, which have emphasized these variables, this article argues that a proper understanding of their relative influence on Japan's foreign policy towards Israel can be detected only within the framework of Japan's overall Middle East policy.