Envoys representing the Group of Seven (G7) nations in Tokyo have expressed their anger and, in what appears to be a coordinated move, may not attend an event commemorating the US nuclear bombing of Japan.
The controversy stems from a decision by the local administration in Nagasaki to exclude Israel from its “peace event,” scheduled for Friday. This decision has sparked significant diplomatic tension.
Japan, which suffered the devastating effects of the US nuclear bombings, has not yet commented on the issue. The twin cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki annually commemorate the bombings that occurred on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, resulting in at least 140,000 deaths by the end of that year. This year marks the 79th anniversary of the tragedy.
In a joint letter dated July 19, envoys from the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU expressed their concern to the Nagasaki city government about its decision to exclude Israel. The letter warned that if Tel Aviv was excluded, “it would become difficult for us to have high-level participation” in the event, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.
The letter further stated that excluding Israel would equate it with countries such as Russia and Belarus, which have not been invited to the ceremony for three consecutive years.
Despite public calls, the local government in Hiroshima invited Israeli officials to its event, which led to protests. Peace activists and volunteers demonstrated outside the government event attended by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, accusing Hiroshima of double standards regarding the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Rahm Emanuel, the US top diplomat in Japan, will not attend the Nagasaki peace ceremony in response to the city’s decision. British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom has also indicated a similar stance.
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki stated that the decision was made due to concerns that protests against Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza could “affect the ceremony’s solemnity.”
At an “Alternate Peace Conference” in Hiroshima, the Palestinian top diplomat in Japan drew parallels between the horrors of the Hiroshima bombing and the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. Although Japan does not recognize a Palestinian state, it hosts the General Mission of Palestine in Tokyo. The deputy chief of the Palestinian mission will attend the Nagasaki event.
Expressing disappointment, Ambassador Waleed Siam criticized Hiroshima for being “hijacked by the oppressors and their supporters while excluding the victims.”
The Israeli military has killed nearly 40,000 and injured approximately 91,645 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its offensive, leading to international condemnation. The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of genocide and ordered it to halt its military operations in the southern city of Rafah.
