The western Japanese city of Hiroshima on Monday announced that Israel has expressed its intention to attend the Aug. 6 annual peace ceremony commemorating the atomic bomb attack on the city, bringing the number of countries slated to take part to a record high of 115.
The invitation to Israel, widely regarded as a nuclear-armed state, included a call for an immediate cease-fire to the conflict in the Palestinian territory, which has drawn increasing international opposition.
A total of 115 nations and the European Union are slated to participate in the ceremony, up from the previous record 111 and the EU in 2023, according to the city.
Among the nuclear powers, Britain and France plan on attending, and arrangements are being made for the United States, while China has not responded.
Of the countries that have not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, India said it will participate, while Pakistan and North Korea have not responded.
The Hiroshima city government has been accused of having a double standard by some residents and activists, as Russia and Belarus have been barred from the ceremony for three consecutive years over the invasion of Ukraine.
"We believe that they will attend after seriously taking our thoughts into account," a city official said of the invitation to Israel in a press conference.
Israel began military operations in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for attacks on civilians by the militant group Hamas on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, the Nagasaki city government has said it has yet to invite Israel to its Aug. 9 ceremony amid debate over whether to do so.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki became the first cities to have an atomic bomb dropped on them on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945, respectively. Each year, delegates from countries and regions across the world are invited to attend the peace ceremonies to pray for the victims and affirm that humanity cannot coexist with nuclear arms.
© KYODO
53 Comments
smithinjapan
"We believe that they will attend after seriously taking our thoughts into account,"
Hahaha... yeah... they'll start the ceasefire immediately because Hiroshima asked them to. And what's Hiroshima going to do when Israel does not? Give them a stern look?
GuruMick
The Holocaust Museum of Houston has a webpage that includes citing a number of books that detail NON JEWISH VICTIMS of the Holocaust.
First listing is "The Forgotten Victims of the Holocaust " by Linda Jacobs Altman, who writes of 5 million non Jewish victims of the Nazi Germany Govt.
My question....can we create a state where Roma {Gypsies, in an earlier description } can be free to be Roma and practice their culture ?
I suggest the modern country created in 1948 called Israel.
GuruMick
If jews are the "people chosen by God "
would the IDF then be "The Lord's Resistance Army "
SapperJon
Having recently visited Hiroshima and the peace park and been moved by the visit, I was very disappointed by the museum, it was massively crowded and learnt and saw nothing just shoveling along with the mass of people in a dark hot basically a corridor.
I've visited several war museums around the world and all are well organised and tell an important story.
It most also never be forgotten why a bomb was dropped, which I'm afraid is not acknowledged at the peace park.
Blackstar
Mass murderers not welcome at commemoration of mass civilian deaths. Pretty obvious, surely.
Blackstar
Show some balls and refuse to admit them.
WoodyLee
Sad Day ,
More than 38,000 Palestinians mostly Women, Children and Infants killed by Israel's leadership then this!??
"We believe that they will attend after seriously taking our thoughts into account," a city official said of the invitation to Israel in a press conference."'
So who made that intimidating phone call to the city office?
Sirius
Happy to assist you with that :)
Bellflower
"commemorating the atomic bomb attack on the city"
By who? Of course everyone knows it was the American government which did it. But in the Japanese news media it is most important not to embarrass the US government with direct language.
Targeting civilians is a war crime.
The servile LDP shields the US from any inconvenient talk about the US atomic bombings being war crimes.
So it is totally appropriate for the LDP-backed mayor of Hiroshima to invite the Israeli war criminals to the "peace ceremony" since the IDF specializes in targeting civilians.
And no one is surprised the IDF targets civilians in Gaza because the IDF is supplied and paid for by the US, the world leader in war crimes.
Bellflower
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui is backed by the LDP and Komeito. When questioned by a reporter about the obvious double standards being applied in the invitations he showed a noticeable defensiveness and irritation.
The US is the world leader of double standards and the US-Japan security treaty essentially requires the LDP to adopt US policy on all important international issues.
Hiroshima's mayor makes a mockery out of the "peace ceremony", using it to promote US war policy in both Ukraine and Gaza.
But then that is exactly what you expect from an LDP backed mayor.
nukkuheddo
why would it be appropriate for representatives of the state of Israel to attend?
After WWII members of the Japanese war time govt were tried as war criminals and some sentenced to death.
Why would representatives of a country for whom chargesr of war crimes have been brought and even arrest warrants for Israli leaders requested...
Inappropriate
John-San
The reality is the IDF has copped a serious lost of man power and Chairman Net wants to start a war with Hezbollah and the IDF has pointed out that they be facing 4000 drone missiles and rockets and hour continuously for days and has estimated that Hezbollah to have 150,000. I bet they have way more.
Zaphod
"Cease-fire" here means victory for Hamas, while hostages (including non-Israelis btw) are still rotting in Hamas "custody". Who with a smidgen of conscience can call for that?
Hamas can end the war at any time by surrendering and releasing the hostages.
kwatt
Nobody is celebrating war at the Hiroshima peace ceremony.
Ramsey's Kitchen
Bringing their chutzpah to Hiroshima to remember the killing of innocent civilians really takes the biscuit,
Indeed , the hypocrisy and double standards are sky high.
Lola
Free Palestine!
Hello Kitty 321
@Ken
Exactly, it started on May 15 (1948)
ian
This will surely shore up Kishida's and LDPs diving trust rating and popularity
Ken
It's crazy how people think the conflict with Israel started October 7th...
jackandjill
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated and called for a ceasefire and for Netanyahu to resign.
Torelol
Maybe it's time for citizens to attend such ceremony and do a demonstration to show Israel what they really are. A genocidal, war criminal, inhumane country run by a bunch of Zionist lunatics.
kohakuebisu
Israel is not an agent for peace.
u_s__reamer
Bringing their chutzpah to Hiroshima to remember the killing of innocent civilians really takes the biscuit, but the world, weary of the horrific scenes of atrocities perpetrated day and night on the mothers and children and men in Gaza since October 7, has already had a belly-full of their hypocrisy and gaslighting. The Japanese authorities should now do the decent thing: in a word to the Zionist war criminals, "muzukashii"!
Aly Rustom
Hear! Hear!
kurisupisu
Israel has been condemned multiple times over.
It is an evil pariah state!
Condemned by the United Nations, most notably!
How is Japan justified in inviting Israel to Hiroshima ?
GuruMick
"Intel "....giant corporation has just cancelled a $25 billion investment in Israel.
How goes the Israeli economy ?
War has costs.
Asymmetric war also.
GuruMick
Bone always either deflects or calls for sources or wants numbers {Hanibal Directive }.
I say, how goes the Israeli narrative post Oct7 ?
How many babies beheaded ?
How many "Holocaust survivors " women raped ?
How many babies strung up on a clothes line ?
How many "command and control centres " found under Hospitals or schools or Mosques ?
Even IDF casualty numbers are being withheld or minimized.
How many countries now calling for sanctions, a ceasefire, negotiations ?
There ya go buddy....
Some questions for you.
BigP
Bad choice of guest.
Chabbawanga
Survivor of Be'eri Hadas Dagan disagrees. She describes the attack on her home that killed her whole family and says it was clearly IDF.
JboneInTheZone
No. There’s no definitive evidence that they were killed by the IDF. If you have concrete evidence feel free to post it
JboneInTheZone
I’m asking for a source so I can read it, not because I’m calling you a liar
“Eighteen of the 170 soldiers were killed by friendly fire due to mistaken identification, including in airstrikes, tank shelling, and gunfire.”
This isn’t the same as being killed as a result of the Hannibal directive which is what the other two posters were implying and what I was referring to. I’ve never made the claim that Israeli’s haven’t died to friendly fire. I’m challenging their idea that massive amounts of Israeli’s were killed intentionally as demanded by the Hannibal Directive which hasn’t been claimed even in the Haaretz article they both referred to.
Chabbawanga
at least 13 at Kibbutz Be'eri
wallace
JboneInTheZone
The IDF killed 9 IDF troops.
I don't have to prove I am right. You have to prove I am wrong.
The number is 18.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-deaths-of-29-of-170-soldiers-in-gaza-op-were-so-called-friendly-fire-accidents/
JboneInTheZone
Source?
wallace
JboneInTheZone
The IDF killed 9 IDF troops.
JboneInTheZone
Wait, Mick and Sanji why can’t you answer this question? You did read the Haaretz article, right?
Concerned Citizen
I don't think barring aggressors like Israel, Russia, etc. is the right thing to do. They need the message more than anyone. Invite them and preach the message until they squirm in thier seats.
JboneInTheZone
How many did they slaughter?
Sanjinosebleed
After Israel was shown to have even slaughtered their own people to prevent hostages, Japan should have made a ceasefire mandatory for them to attend a peace ceremony!
Aly Rustom
Happy to be your assistant if you like.
Aly Rustom
Exactly.
Aly Rustom
The Hiroshima peace ceremony has lost all meaning
JboneInTheZone
You tell me, how many Israeli’s were killed by the IDF?
GuruMick
1/ Zibala...yes Israel is "the eternal victim " . {Shrug shoulders, arms held at waist height, palms facing upward. {do they teach this at school, like some Tai Chi pose ? }
Zen Koen..."If a tree falls in the forest " etc
Israeli saying..."If a bomb falls on a school, and there are no survivors, was there really a bomb ? "
Feel better now ?
Bone....how many did the IDF kill on Oct7 ? Hannibal Directive employed as reported by Haaretz.
How many babies beheaded ?
Oh...none ?
Israel...keep doing what you're doing....keep getting what you've got.
Norm
I personally agree that it’s a bad idea, but this is Japan, so…
Their country, their rules! Right?
TokyoLiving
Invite Israel to a ceremony of peace while it commits ethnic genocide in Gaza???..
JboneInTheZone
So the Israeli’s killed on 10/7 were just pretending?
Capuchin
They should send Amichai Eliyahu. The Israeli minister who calles for the use of nuclear weapons on Gaza just a few months ago.
Meiyouwenti
If Russia and Belarus are barred from the Hiroshima ceremony, then Israel, another aggressor committing crimes against humanity, should be too.
sakurasuki
Being an actual war victim and playing victim is two different thing.
zibala
Israel to attend Hiroshima peace ceremony amid call for cease-fire
What a contrast, with Israel being an actual war victim.
GuruMick
Get the arrest warrants ready,....I'll serve them myself.
koiwaicoffee
Celebrating war?