FOCUS: Israel-Hamas war to test Japan's consistency with rule of law

With the Group of Seven avoiding criticism of Israel's intensifying bombardment of the Gaza Strip during their just-ended two-day foreign ministerial talks in Tokyo, some observers say Japan needs to make its own stance on the situation in the Middle East clearer.The G7 members' alignment over Israel's ongoing war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas may open up a rift with Muslim countries that would ultimately benefit China and Russia down the road, they said.Israel has been strongly backed by the United States, Japan's close ally. But Japan, this year's G7 chair, has traditionall…READ FULL ARTICLE