Japan supports a two-state solution with regard to the Middle East peace TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned the rise in violence in Israel and Palestine and called on all parties “to restrain themselves.” Referencing the violence, a statement issued by the ministry said: “The Government of Japan strongly condemns all forms of violence over the past week and expresses its serious concern over the growing tensions on the ground. As we have entered the season of holy days for both Muslims and Jews, it is all the more important to respect the sanctity of the holy place.” It added that Japan supports a two-state solution with regard to the Middle East peace and is “convinced that the problems people in the Middle East face can never be resolved by violence, but only through negotiations and efforts to build mutual trust among the parties to the conflict.” The statement said: “Japan urges all the parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from violence and provocative actions in order to avoid further escalation of the situation.” • This story originally appeared on Arab News Japan