New Israeli Ambassador to Japan Yitzhak Lior said Wednesday that Japan's political role in the Middle East peace process is growing because of its capacity to convey a message of peace to both Israelis and Palestinians.

"Japan has good relationships with both sides," Lior said at the Japan National Press Club. "The influence of Japan in the Middle East is growing, not only economically, but also politically."

Lior said Japan, which "deserves to join the Security Council" as a permanent member because it shares 20 percent of the U.N. budget, "should play a positive role in helping to put down the violence and bring the parties back together."

The envoy also said he welcomes Japan's economic assistance to Palestinians, which so far stands at $500 million (56 billion yen), from a humanitarian standpoint.

Providing financial assistance for language education programs -- so that Israelis can learn Arabic and Palestinians can learn Hebrew -- is one new way to promote understanding between the two peoples, Lior said.

Regarding the United States, Lior said he expects that the new administration of President-elect George W. Bush will remain committed to the Middle East peace process.

"We're confident that the U.S. will follow its own interests, and the politics will not change much toward the Middle East," he said.

He predicted that Bush will not be as deeply involved as President Bill Clinton in the initial stage of his administration. But he added that the United States will continue to "play a role of honest broker."