Israel and Japan mark business ties

The Israel-Japan Chamber of Commerce this week celebrated 70 years of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The event was held at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa with about 350 guests – including senior economic and industry figures, businessmen, diamond experts, senior Israeli and Japanese government officials, and senior bankers. It featured guests of honor as well, including Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman; Adv. Zeev Weiss, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and the Israel-Japan Friendship Association; Mizushima Koichi, ambassador of Japan to Israel; Zvi Hauser, head of the interparliamentary Israel-Japan friendship group; Dr. Ron Tomer, president of the Manufacturers

Association; Adv. Shmuel Schnitzer, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Award Committee; and Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, chairwoman of the Export Institute.

Weiss, who had just returned from a visit to Japan, encouraged the business community to visit Japan and renew ties. Japanese investments in Israel soared to a record $3 billion in 2021 and the Japanese expressed in meetings with him their desire to deepen and expand ties with Israel.

The Abraham Accords have excited the Japanese imaginations in creating business partnerships between Japan, Israel and the Emirates. Zeev expressed the hope that Japan will soon be open to tourists from Israel and that direct flights between the two countries will be resumed.

Liberman said, “Relations between Japan and Israel are important and strong. We will continue to cultivate and invest in economic cooperation between the countries and I am sure we will know how to utilize the potential to the best of our ability.”

Gilad Cohen, Israel’s Ambassador to Japan, sent greetings from Japan.

Also among the guests were Zvi Neta, chairman and CEO of the Automotive Equipment and Vehicles Group; Shalom Seidler, chairman and owner of the Wissotzky Group; Boaz Moldavsky, president of the Diamond Exchange; Tanyia Cohen-Uzzielli, CEO of the Tel Aviv Museum; Adv. Gilad Meirovich; diamond expert Gabi Barbi; Dr. Roni Bornstein, honorary president of the Israel-Japan Chamber of Commerce; Eran Zini, CEO of the Diamond Exchange; and Meir Rassin, one of the owners of Opticana.