Israel will not be invited to a ceremony in Japan commemorating the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki city, as reported by Japanese news agency Kyodo News. The decision was made by Nagasaki city's mayor Shiro Suzuki, who cited concerns over potential unexpected situations, such as protests, due to a letter he sent to Israel in June calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. This led to the invitation to the annual peace ceremony being put on hold.
During a press conference, Suzuki expressed that he had not observed any changes that would mitigate the risks associated with inviting Israel to the ceremony promoting world peace, scheduled for August 9. In response, Israel's Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, expressed regret over the decision, stating that it sends a wrong message to the world.
On the other hand, Hiroshima has extended an invitation to Israel for its annual ceremony on August 6. This move has sparked controversy among activists and atomic bomb survivors' groups, who argue that Israel should be excluded this year, similar to Russia and Belarus in the past two years due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
