Arab News Japan

TOKYO: As student demonstrations in support of Gaza and opposed to Israel’s invasion spread around the world, students in Japan are also taking up the baton to protest.

Many students have been involved in the weekly demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and freedom for Palestine, but in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in the United States and elsewhere, students are now taking the cause back to their campuses.

A senior named TODA from the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo said students in Japan are fighting with their contemporaries in New York, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Paris, London and other cities, aiming to “make history together.”

Earlier this month, the United Nations issued a resolution calling for a halt to arms exports to Israel. However, along with Germany and the United States, Japan also abstained.

In addition, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the Ministry of Defense are trying to import state-of-the-art military drones for defense purposes. Some of these are manufactured by Israeli military companies.

“Do you know about Israel’s selling of high-tech weapons?” Toda asked. “They say those weapons have been tested in actual battles. This means that those were developed in Palestine and used in Gaza to kill Palestinians. Without a doubt, the Japanese government is participating in genocide.”

“That’s why we’re demonstrating. Right now, we are fighting with students from New York, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Paris, London and Melbourne. Students are standing up for Palestine on all continents around the world. We are making history together.”

Students at top schools such as Tokyo University and Sophia University are also taking part in protests.

“We are fighting for Palestinian students who have lost their schools, their futures and even their lives,” Toda said. “If many people participate in demonstrations and express their opposition, the political powers will have no choice but to listen to us. If we do nothing, violence for vested interests will not stop.”