Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today (May 12) with members of the Israel Japan Parliamentary Friendship League led by MP Gen Nakatani.

At the start of the meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “There is a common bond between us – We are both democratic, progressive, technologically oriented societies. You face North Korea, which is a rogue regime with nuclear weapons. We face Iran, which is a rogue regime that wants to have nuclear weapons. They’re cooperating between themselves, and we should cooperate between ourselves, and I want to commend you for keeping the torch of Israeli-Japanese friendship alive, and now it’s growing stronger; and it will grow stronger with this visit. I’m confident of that.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu later met with Panasonic corporate leaders including Chairman of the Board Shusaku Nagae, Tokyo Center Director Yoshiko Hamazaki, Marketing and Sales Manager Hiroki Miyaji and International Relations Director Genichiro Shimada.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “There is one area that transcends everything and affects everything and this is the field of cyber security. All the systems that I saw here are computerized systems; they’re all vulnerable. Cyber security is a growing need and a central need for your businesses. This is something Israel is developing by leaps and bounds on a global scale and we are open to cooperation not only with governments, but with companies as well. Indeed, the biggest companies in the world in this field and related fields are now coming to Israel to invest in cyber security and we invite you to do the same.”

These meetings are part of Netanyahu’s four day visit in Japan to boost Israel and Japan’s ties and to augment the financial and technological cooperation between the two countries. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with the Japanese Emperor, leading government ministers and officials, the Japanese business Federation Keidanren, with Rekutan corporate heads which recently acquired the Israeli company Viber and leaders in the Japanese economy.

The emphasis during these meetings is on Israeli innovations; specifically cyber technology, water conservation technology, alternative energy sources and biotechnology.