TOKYO: Waleed Siam, the Representative of Palestine in Japan, sought sympathy for the people of Gaza in a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday and accused the West of hypocrisy and using a “narrow lens” to view the situation in the Middle East.
“I stand before you to address the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said in his opening remarks.
“Regrettably, some see history through a narrow lens, focusing solely on the recent violence. We must recognize that the Palestinian people have endured one deadly year after another, a matter of grave concern that has persisted far too long, bringing untold suffering to both Palestinian and Israeli populations.”
“I’d like to begin by clarifying that we, the Palestinian people, unequivocally reject any dehumanizing rhetoric, such as that propagated by the ultra-right-wing Israeli government, which has labeled us as animals.”
Siam said the victims of the conflict are not to blame. “We should hold the international community accountable, especially those nations that have supported Israel’s military occupation and perpetuated injustices.”
He added that there was a certain indifference by some nations in holding Israel accountable for their actions, accusing Israel of prioritizing “occupation and colonization over peace, brazenly violating international law for decades.”
He also wanted to focus on the terrible humanitarian conditions that some Palestinians have to live in.
“Palestinians in Gaza are enduring dire living conditions,” he said. “No water, no electricity, no medical supplies, these are closeby to those found in concentration camps. It is heart-wrenching to witness the support for illegal settlements and the encouragement of the illegal settlers to continue their racist attacks on Palestinian citizens on Palestinian land.”
Siam said the settlers are given arms to attack Palestinians, while other attacks target religious holy sites such as the Alaina Mosque.
“Retaliation cannot be the answer,” he said. “We currently witness the execution of civilians under the pretext of legitimate self-defense. According to international law, the occupier cannot claim self-defense. UN resolutions affirm the right of occupied peoples to resist in any form they choose.”
Palestine ambassador in Japan accuses West of hypocrisy
https://arab.news/j58dx
Palestine ambassador in Japan accuses West of hypocrisy
- “I stand before you to address the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Waleed Siam said
- He said the victims of the conflict are not to blame
Prabowo, Trump expected to sign Indonesia-US tariff deal in January 2026
- Deal will mean US tariffs on Indonesian products are cut from a threatened 32 percent to 19 percent
- Jakarta committed to scrap tariffs on more than 99 percent of US goods
JAKARTA: Indonesia expects to sign a tariff deal with the US in early 2026 after reaching an agreement on “all substantive issues,” Jakarta's chief negotiator said on Tuesday.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto met with US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Washington this week to finalize an Indonesia-US trade deal, following a series of discussions that took place after the two countries agreed on a framework for negotiations in July.
“All substantive issues laid out in the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade have been agreed upon by the two sides, including both the main and technical issues,” Hartarto said in an online briefing.
Officials from both countries are now working to set up a meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump.
It will take place after Indonesian and US technical teams meet in the second week of January for a legal scrubbing, or a final clean-up of an agreement text.
“We are expecting that the upcoming technical process will wrap up in time as scheduled, so that at the end of January 2026 President Prabowo and President Trump can sign the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade,” Hartarto said.
Indonesian trade negotiators have been in “intensive” talks with their Washington counterparts since Trump threatened to levy a 32 percent duty on Indonesian exports.
Under the July framework, US tariffs on Indonesian imports were lowered to 19 percent, with Jakarta committing to measures to balance trade with Washington, including removing tariffs on more than 99 percent of American imports and scrapping all non-tariff barriers facing American companies.
Jakarta also pledged to import $15 billion worth of energy products and $4.5 billion worth of agricultural products such as soybeans, wheat and cotton, from the US.
“Indonesia will also get tariff exemptions on top Indonesian goods, such as palm oil, coffee, cocoa,” Hartarto said.
“This is certainly good news, especially for Indonesian industries directly impacted by the tariff policy, especially labor-intensive sectors that employ around 5 million workers.”
In the past decade, Indonesia has consistently posted trade surpluses with the US, its second-largest export market after China.
From January to October, data from the Indonesian trade ministry showed two-way trade valued at nearly $36.2 billion, with Jakarta posting a $14.9 billion surplus.
