"Abe had a good impression; he liked Netanyahu's mentality," Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, chairman of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, told Reuters when he led a delegation from Keizai Doyukai, the Japanese business lobby, to Israel in May.
For years, trade between the two was minimal - Japan was reluctant to upset its oil suppliers, many of whom belong to the Arab League, which has long backed a boycott of Israel.
"Geopolitics is changing in the Middle East and as oil prices come down, strategically it's not as important," said Kobayashi. "Japan is changing its mind."
For years, trade between the two was minimal - Japan was reluctant to upset its oil suppliers, many of whom belong to the Arab League, which has long backed a boycott of Israel.
"Geopolitics is changing in the Middle East and as oil prices come down, strategically it's not as important," said Kobayashi. "Japan is changing its mind."
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