Israel’s envoy to Japan has hit out at authorities in Nagasaki after they declined to invite him to a peace ceremony commemorating the 1945 atomic bombing of the city, accusing the local mayor of “inventing” security fears.
The decision by Nagasaki contrasts with that of Hiroshima, which hosts its ceremony on Tuesday and has invited Israel.
Both cities had been under pressure from activists and bomb survivor groups to exclude Israel due to its bombardment of Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed since Israel began targeting militant group Hamas following the October 7 attack.
Russia and Belarus have both been disinvited over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and campaigners had hoped Nagasaki and Hiroshima – which both suffered the horror unleashed by nuclear weapons at the end of World War II – would do the same.
Nagasaki’s mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters last week that Israel’s exclusion from Friday’s upcoming memorial was due to security concerns and was not a political decision.
“I would like to emphasize that this decision was not based on political considerations, but rather on our desire to hold the ceremony to commemorate the victims of the atomic bombings in a peaceful and solemn atmosphere, and to ensure that the ceremony goes smoothly,” he said, calling the decision “difficult.”
But Gilad Cohen, Israel’s ambassador in Tokyo, rejected that argument.
“It has nothing to do with public order,” he told CNN on Monday. “I checked it with the relevant authorities that are responsible for public order and security, and there is no obstacle for me to go to Nagasaki,” he added, accusing the mayor of “inventing this.”
“I am really surprised by him hijacking this ceremony for his political motivations,” the diplomat added.
