Hiroshima invites 'Israel' to 'peace ceremony' amid Gaza genocide

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
9 Jul 2024 12:12
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Residents and peace activists in the Japanese city of Hiroshima denounce the invitation, as Russia and Belarus have been barred from the ceremony over the war in Ukraine.

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Wreaths are placed at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park by leaders of the G7 in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday, May 19, 2023, during the G7 Summit. (AP)

The Hiroshima city government is facing accusations of applying double standards for inviting the Israeli occupation entity to its annual "peace ceremony" on August 6, which commemorates the day the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city in 1945 during World War II, Anadolu Agency reported.

Residents and peace activists have denounced the invitation amid the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, as Russia and Belarus have been barred from the ceremony for three consecutive years due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Hiroshima confirmed that "Israel" intends to participate in the ceremony, bringing the number of parties attending to a record 115.

The invitation extended to Tel Aviv, widely seen as a nuclear-armed entity, also included a call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with a Hiroshima city official saying, "We believe that they will attend after seriously taking our thoughts into account."

Among the nuclear powers, Britain and France plan to attend, and arrangements are being made for the United States, which dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively.

China has yet to respond to the invitation.

Of the other nuclear nations that have not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, India has confirmed its attendance at the ceremony.

This comes as the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli war on the Strip has risen to 38,193 martyrs and those injured to 87,903.

Meanwhile, the Nagasaki city government announced plans to invite "Israel" to its August 9 ceremony, amid ongoing debate over "whether to do so."

Mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters on Monday, "..as for Israel, the situation is changing day by day... so we have put sending an invitation letter on hold," adding that there were concerns over protests if "Israel" attended the ceremony.

"Given the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza, and public opinion in the international community, there are concerns about the risk of unexpected incidents during the ceremony," Suzuki said.

"As the Ukraine situation has not changed, we are not inviting Russia or Belarus."

Suzuki relayed to the press that his city penned a letter to the Israeli embassy, in which it called "for an immediate ceasefire" and that it "will issue an invitation swiftly" if Nagasaki officials decide that inviting "Israel" won't pose a problem.