On Monday, December 19, Governor Koike met with Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee and president of the Palestinian Football Association, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The governor said, “The athletes from Palestine who participated in the Rio Olympic Games each performed very well. However, considering the situation in Palestine, I imagine that they are facing extreme difficulty in training and participating in international competitions.” And, referring to the fact that Mr. Rajub is also president of the Palestinian Football Association, she added, “I look very forward to seeing a stronger relationship between Japan and Palestine through football, which is popular among young people.”

Mr. Rajub, in reference to the FIFA Club World Cup match held on the previous day, mentioned that sports in Asia, notably Japan, are developing on the professional level, and spoke of how he anticipated that the Tokyo 2020 Games will be “a wonderful event for Japan and Asia.” He also said, “Sport is important for Palestine. Through sport, we are conveying a message of humanity. It is more important to let the world know about the Palestinian issue through sport and the Palestinian athletes, than through violence. That is why we support sport.”