Japan will not recognize a Palestinian state for now, a decision likely taken to maintain relations with the United States and to avoid a hardening of Israel’s attitude.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified government sources.

The US had prompted Japan to forgo the recognition of a Palestinian state through several diplomatic channels, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had strongly urged his Japanese counterpart to recognize it, Kyodo news agency reported last week.

Japan has been conducting a “comprehensive assessment, including appropriate timing and modalities, of the issue of recognizing Palestinian statehood,” Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news briefing on Tuesday.

Asahi said Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to skip a September 22 meeting on the subject during the UN gathering in New York.