The murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has left Japan and many in the world shocked and grieving. Leaders from Israel, the United States, China, Russia, and India, along with many other figures, expressed condolences to Abe's family and the Japanese people, and praised his great work as Prime Minister for Japan's relations with their respective countries.
Abe was one of the most dominant figures in post-World War II Japanese politics and the most important in the 21st century. He served four times as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and as prime minister: first, in a short and tumultuous term between 2006 and 2007, at the end of which he decided to resign; and then during three consecutive terms between 2012 and 2020. With his retirement due to the aggravation of a chronic illness from which he suffered, his tenure as Prime Minister was the longest in Japan’s history.
Abe led a hawkish right wing ideological line. Leading the agenda he promoted was increasing Japan’s defense spending and advancing laws aimed at amending Article 9 of the state constitution, which prohibits Japan from participating in war and holding a military for offensive purposes. This is in light of the security changes in the region, led by China's growing militarization, North Korea's missile tests, and tensions with Russia from the north. At the same time, changes in US policy in recent years have cast doubt on the credibility of the defense alliance between the countries.
Before Abe took office in 2012, Japan-Israel relations were already warm, but his push for cooperation led to a significant tightening of existing ties, and some in Israel call him “the architect of modern relations with Israel.” Abe saw Israel as a country with enormous potential for innovation and technology and encouraged Japanese investments in Israeli companies. Accordingly, following his visits to Israel in 2015 and 2018, successful collaboration was born in a variety of sectors and business areas, politics, academia, and culture. After his death, Prime Minister Yair Lapid and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences to his family and the Japanese people, praising Abe’s work for international relations and calling him a "friend of Israel”.
Upon his retirement in 2020, Abe remained active and influential in the political field, but vacated the leader’s seat for other prominent players from his party: first Yoshihide Suga, who served as Prime Minister of Japan for only one year, and then Fumio Kishida, the incumbent Prime Minister. Kishida, who comes from a different faction than Abe's, largely continues Abe's line on foreign and security issues, holding a rigid line toward China and siding with the US and its allies.
Japan is a country that has suffered many calamities, including assassinations of leaders and public figures throughout its modern history. Despite the Abe’s murder, Japan held parliamentary elections on July 10, which suggests that no significant changes will take place in Japan's policy, internally and externally. The same is true for Japan-Israel relations. Both sides are enjoying the fruits of the relations and there’s no apparent reason to challenge them. Even in his absence, Abe's tailwind will continue to blow behind Japan-Israel relations, and of course behind LDP leaders in the years to come.
The murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has left Japan and many in the world shocked and grieving. Leaders from Israel, the United States, China, Russia, and India, along with many other figures, expressed condolences to Abe's family and the Japanese people, and praised his great work as Prime Minister for Japan's relations with their respective countries.
Abe was one of the most dominant figures in post-World War II Japanese politics and the most important in the 21st century. He served four times as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and as prime minister: first, in a short and tumultuous term between 2006 and 2007, at the end of which he decided to resign; and then during three consecutive terms between 2012 and 2020. With his retirement due to the aggravation of a chronic illness from which he suffered, his tenure as Prime Minister was the longest in Japan’s history.
Abe led a hawkish right wing ideological line. Leading the agenda he promoted was increasing Japan’s defense spending and advancing laws aimed at amending Article 9 of the state constitution, which prohibits Japan from participating in war and holding a military for offensive purposes. This is in light of the security changes in the region, led by China's growing militarization, North Korea's missile tests, and tensions with Russia from the north. At the same time, changes in US policy in recent years have cast doubt on the credibility of the defense alliance between the countries.
Before Abe took office in 2012, Japan-Israel relations were already warm, but his push for cooperation led to a significant tightening of existing ties, and some in Israel call him “the architect of modern relations with Israel.” Abe saw Israel as a country with enormous potential for innovation and technology and encouraged Japanese investments in Israeli companies. Accordingly, following his visits to Israel in 2015 and 2018, successful collaboration was born in a variety of sectors and business areas, politics, academia, and culture. After his death, Prime Minister Yair Lapid and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences to his family and the Japanese people, praising Abe’s work for international relations and calling him a "friend of Israel”.
Upon his retirement in 2020, Abe remained active and influential in the political field, but vacated the leader’s seat for other prominent players from his party: first Yoshihide Suga, who served as Prime Minister of Japan for only one year, and then Fumio Kishida, the incumbent Prime Minister. Kishida, who comes from a different faction than Abe's, largely continues Abe's line on foreign and security issues, holding a rigid line toward China and siding with the US and its allies.
Japan is a country that has suffered many calamities, including assassinations of leaders and public figures throughout its modern history. Despite the Abe’s murder, Japan held parliamentary elections on July 10, which suggests that no significant changes will take place in Japan's policy, internally and externally. The same is true for Japan-Israel relations. Both sides are enjoying the fruits of the relations and there’s no apparent reason to challenge them. Even in his absence, Abe's tailwind will continue to blow behind Japan-Israel relations, and of course behind LDP leaders in the years to come.