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The mayor of Nagasaki, Japan, announced this Tuesday that he will not invite Israeli representatives to the ceremony marking the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the territory, in protest against the war in Gaza and to avoid “incidents”.
Instead of sending an invitation to Israeli representatives in Japan, authorities in Nagasaki will issue a statement calling for a ceasefire, according to Spanish agency Europa Press.
According to Shiro Suzuki, the decision not to invite Israeli representatives to the ceremony on August 9th took into account Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and international public opinion.
“Given the critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and international public opinion on the matter, there is concern that there may be a risk of an unforeseen incident occurring during the ceremony. The important thing is to honor the victims of the atomic bomb”, said Suzuki, who acknowledged that it was a “difficult decision”.
On the other hand, the authorities of Hiroshima, the other city bombed by the United States 79 years ago, announced that they will not change their ceremony and that they will invite the Israeli ambassador to Tokyo, as has been customary in recent years, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
Source: https://observador.pt/2024/06/04/nagasaki-exclui-israel-da-cerimonia-de-aniversario-do-lancamento-da-bomba-atomica/
