Reiwa Shinsengumi party candidates Akiko Oishi and Mari Kushibuchi, who won the election, have been outspoken in their support for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Following Japan’s sudden elections, at least two members who support Palestine have returned to the legislature.
The Reiwa Shinsengumi party’s representatives, Akiko Oishi and Mari Kushibuchi, emerged victorious in Sunday’s polls.
The two had started speaking out against the war in Gaza.
In November 2021, 47-year-old professional engineer Akiko, who was elected from Osaka province, made her maiden appearance in parliament.
She was outspoken in parliament after Israel began its war on Gaza in October of last year, calling on the alliance of the Komeito party and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to take a firm stand on Palestine in order to put an end to the conflict.
In Sunday’s hasty elections, she kept her seat, but the ruling coalition suffered its biggest defeat since 2009.
The elections were likewise won by Mari, 57.
Following her victory, Mari expressed gratitude to her supporters and declared, “I will work hard to make a new start, to create politics that will save the people living in this country and never allow war to happen.”
The two Japanese MPs were spotted on the streets demonstrating in favor of Palestine in an attempt to draw the Japanese government’s attention following Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza.
“We can’t give up.”
A persistent public push for a ceasefire in Gaza has been observed in Japan. When Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Japan for a Quad meeting earlier this year, anti-US demonstrations also took place in the capital, Tokyo.
In Tokyo, protesters also interrupted a defense company’s presentation because they were worried about the weaponry it supplied to the Israeli military.
“We must not give up even when we feel smothered at a time when we cannot stop genocide. “Let’s do something!” Last November, Mari gave a speech at a rally.
In the previous parliament, Reiwa held three seats.
Japan came under fire from the Reiwa party earlier this year for ceasing to finance the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The MPs from the three parties gave the UNRWA a donation of one million Japanese yen, or around $7,000, and objected to Tokyo’s decision to halt funding after Israel made false accusations against the UN organization.
When the party announced the donations in February, it stated, “We stand in solidarity with those who are raising their voices to end the occupation policy in Palestine.”
