Nagasaki excludes 'Israel' from nuclear bombing memorial

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
31 Jul 2024 16:21
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Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki states that the decision to not invite "Israel" stems from a desire for peace during the ceremony.

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In this November 17, 2019, file photo, people visit the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument in Nagasaki, southern Japan. (AP)

The Japanese city of Nagasaki will not invite "Israel" to its annual commemoration ceremony of the victims of the United States 1945 nuclear attack, held on August 9, the city's mayor announced on Wednesday.

Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said the decision to not invite the Israeli occupation stems from a desire for peace during the ceremony.

"Nine days are left, and there are still concerns to this moment ... That is why we have decided not to invite [Israel]. This is not a political decision. This decision comes from the fact that we want to have a peaceful and smooth ceremony."

However, he said the decision was a "pity" because Nagasaki had sent invitations and wanted multiple representatives to attend.

As a result, the Israeli Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, slammed the decision, saying it sent the wrong message to the world.

"The decision by Nagasaki's mayor not to invite Israel to the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 9th is regrettable, sends a wrong message to the world, and deflects from the core message that Nagasaki has been promoting for years."

Calls to ban 'Israel' from Hiroshima & Nagasaki memorial over Gaza war

This comes as many parties, including activists and groups of survivors of the atomic bomb explosion with which the United States targeted the Japanese city of Hiroshima, had demanded that the city authorities disinvite the Israeli occupation from attending the ceremony that will be held on the anniversary of the explosion on August 6.

Hiroshima refused to prevent "Israel" from attending the ceremony, which "promotes world peace." Accused of double standards, a spokesperson for the Hiroshima city government claimed "It is not a double standard. Our policy is to invite all countries. However, Russia and Belarus are exceptions due to the invasion of Ukraine."

According to CNN, the activists emphasized that "the ceremony is no place for Israel," against the backdrop of its continuing genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, where nearly 39,000 people have been martyred, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.

Authorities in Nagasaki, on the other hand, had told CNN that they had "not yet decided whether to invite Israel to the peace ceremony" on August 9.

The authorities added that the Israeli occupation's war on the Gaza Strip may "prevent the smooth execution of the ceremony."

The authorities then explained that this was not, as described by CNN, "a gesture of protest but a practical consideration."