Photo/Illutration A Palestinian youth sits on rubble following an Israeli military strike on the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 15. (AFP photo)

The latest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas that broke out early last month has put Japan’s Middle East policy to the test.

Tokyo has long tried to maintain its alliance with the United States while also fostering friendly relations with Arab nations.

This diplomatic approach started exactly 50 years ago when Japan was hit by the first oil crisis.

During the fourth Middle East war in 1973, Arab nations used oil as a political “weapon.” They imposed an oil embargo against pro-Israeli countries such as the United States and raised oil prices.

As a result, Japan faced skyrocketing prices, including those for gasoline. The oil crisis also triggered panic buying, with items such as toilet paper disappearing from the shelves as more people grew anxious about shortages. Society was in chaos.

At that time, Japan depended on the Middle East for about 80 percent of its oil imports.

The Japanese government was forced to engage in the balanced diplomacy between United States and Arab nations.

There were two main reasons for the U.S. involvement in the Middle East: the stable supply of energy and the security of Israel, with which it has a “special relationship.”

But the situation surrounding energy has drastically changed today.

The shale revolution in around 2010 led the United States to become the world’s largest oil producer due to the adoption of new technologies to extract crude oil and gas trapped in shale formations deep underground.

With a stable supply of energy ensured, the United States put importance on the security of Israel. This time, U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed sole support for Israel.

Japan sought to diversify its oil procurement sources after learning from the oil crisis, but the efforts have not been going well.

Japan’s oil dependence on the Middle East, which had temporarily decreased in the late 1980s, now exceeds 90 percent.

Japan’s diplomatic dilemma of how to strike a balance has deepened.

At the United Nations Security Council, Japan opposed a resolution submitted by Russia that would not condemn Hamas, standing with the United States.

On the other hand, Japan voted for a resolution proposed by Brazil that calls for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict, while the United States vetoed it.

As the chair of the Group of Seven nations, Japan will host a foreign ministers’ meeting in Tokyo on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8.

As an anti-Israel sentiment rises not only in Arab nations, but also in Southeast Asia, which has a large Muslim population, Japan’s diplomacy is likely to continue walking a tightrope.

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