Arab News Japan

TOKYO: While Israel conducts a bloody war in Gaza, Israeli companies continue to look for business around the world, particularly Japan, which tries to keep a diplomatic balance when dealing with Israel and Palestine.

Israel has felt more and more isolated since the war began in Gaza and doing business with Israeli companies can lead to problems, as more and more people around the world protest against the killings in Gaza.

Nikkei Asia reports that 11 Israeli companies exhibited in a pavilion set up by the Israeli government at the recent Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo, known as SusHi Tech Tokyo. They showcased a variety of technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

The promotional displays at SusHi Tech showed that Israeli entrepreneurs are continuing to vie for attention from multinationals and investors and some of them see opportunities in Japan.

Another event in Tokyo last month featured Israeli startups in areas related to mobility, such as autonomous-driving technology and electric vehicles. Among the exhibitors was nT-Tao, a company backed by Honda Motors and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance that looks to use compact fusion power generators to charge EVs.

Despite the war and regional problems, Israel is home to many startups who see the possibility of tying up with Japanese companies in areas such as autos, AI, agriculture and food. Israel’s Embassy in Japan is encouraging these businesses to market themselves in Japan.

However, some Japanese companies have been targeted by protesters for their links to Israel and are reluctant to publicize joint ventures while the war in Gaza continues. At least one Israeli company reportedly backed out of attending SusHi Tech and Japanese trading house Itochu said in February that it would end a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between a subsidiary and Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.