Israel protests Japan's official reception of senior Fatah official

(Oct. 20, 2026 / JNS)

Israel’s Embassy in Japan protested the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s official reception of senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub on Monday, citing his past statements that the embassy said justified terrorism and promoted antisemitism.

According to the embassy, Rajoub, who also heads the Palestine Olympic Committee and Palestinian Football Association, has repeatedly defended the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks. In an October 2025 interview documented by Palestinian Media Watch, he said the attacks were “a response to the crimes committed against the Palestinian people [by Israel] since 1948.”

The embassy warned that officially receiving Rajoub risks legitimizing his rhetoric and conveys the impression that such statements are tolerated, calling the reception inconsistent with principles shared by Israel and Japan.