WEST BANK-ASIA/ABE-ABBAS Japan's Abe: threat to Japanese captives 'unacceptable'

Record ID: 565755

  • Title: WEST BANK-ASIA/ABE-ABBAS Japan's Abe: threat to Japanese captives 'unacceptable'
  • Date: 20th January 2015
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JANUARY 20, 2015) (REUTERS) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS, APPROACHING PODIUM OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, SAYING: "In the talks with President Abbas I told him that this morning there was a broadcast (video) recording of a death threat to Japanese abductees and this action is not acceptable." MEDIA CREWS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SHINZO ABE, SAYING: "We are ready to provide new support of $100 million for humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza and financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority to create new jobs." AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS, SAYING: "We received this morning the news about the kidnapping of two Japanese citizens by a radical terrorist group. Here we re-emphasize our condemnation and our complete rejection of horrible acts like this that contradict all the values and rules and human ethics." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS, SAYING: "Our hands are still held out for peace. They (referring to Israel) must choose between peace or the expansion and settlement activity on our expense." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7FC40FBDSTCF7A78UBFDDPMU5
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THE JAPANESE TRANSLATION PROVIDED IN SHOT 3 & 5 IS BASED ON SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION INTO ARABIC
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday (January 20), that a threat to the lives of two purported Japanese captives by Islamic State militants was unacceptable.
    Abe was speaking at a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, as part of a multi-nation visit to the Middle East.
    "In the talks with President Abbas I told him that this morning there was a broadcast (video) recording of a death threat to Japanese abductees and this action is not acceptable," Abe said according to a simultaneous translation into Arabic.
    Abbas also condemned the act saying: "We received this morning the news about the kidnapping of two Japanese citizens by a radical terrorist group. Here we re-emphasize our condemnation and our complete rejection of horrible acts like this that contradict all the values and rules and human ethics".
    Earlier on Tuesday, Abe held a news conference in Jerusalem where he vowed to exert efforts to save the lives of the captives.
    The Islamic State group, which holds territory in Iraq and Syria, issued a video online purporting to show two Japanese captives and demanding $200 million from the Japanese government to save their lives.
    Abe also said Japan would continue supporting the Palestinian Authority.
    "We are ready to provide new support of $100 million for humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza and financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority to create new jobs," he said.
    Abbas said Israel's settlement activity must stop in order to achieve peace.
    "Our hands are still held out for peace. They (referring to Israel) must choose between peace or the expansion and settlement activity on our expense," Abbas said.
    The Palestinians, frustrated by the protracted impasse in peace talks with Israel, have sought to internationalize the issue by seeking U.N. membership and recognition of statehood via membership in international organisations.
    Abe, who embarked on a three-day visit to the region, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog on Monday (January 19).
    Accompanied by his wife Akie, Abe also toured the church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall, revered by Jews as a perimeter wall of the Biblical Temple.
    He was scheduled to depart the region on Tuesday evening.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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