Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has arrived in Japan for the first official visit to the G7 country by an Israeli foreign minister in 15 years, the Foreign Ministry announces.
During his three-day visit, Sa’ar will meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, members of the Japan-Israel Parliamentary friendship group, and other top Japanese officials, the ministry says in a statement.
In October, Iwaya “unequivocally condemned” the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel but said he was “gravely concerned” by the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip one year into the ongoing conflict.
While in Japan, Sa’ar will give interviews to local media and hold a press conference aimed at “strengthening Israel’s narrative in the Japanese press,” Sa’ar’s office says.
The foreign minister is expected to return to Israel on Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Tokyo on May 12, 2014, marking the last major diplomatic visit to Japan by an Israeli official.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
